Chinese New Year 2025 falls on Wednesday, January 29th, starting a year of the Earth Snake. As a public holiday, Chinese people will get 7 days off from work from January 28th to February 4th in 2025.
What is the Chinese New Year 2025 Animal? — Earth Snake
The Chinese zodiac gives each year an animal sign.Chinese New Year 2025 is a Year of the Snake, more specifically, Earth Snake, starting from January 29th, 2025, and lasting until February 16th, 2026.
Recent/upcoming years of the Snake are 2025, 2013, 2001, and 1989. If you were born in one of the above years, then you are a Snake. You will experience your zodiac birth sign year (benmingnian) in 2025, which is considered bad luck. Read more on How to Make Good Luck in Your Zodiac Year (Benmingnian) Easily.
The 12 animals of the Chinese zodiac are Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, and Pig.
You can use our free Chinese zodiac sign calculator tool below to find your zodiac animal sign and check your horoscope in 2025 on our page Year of the Snake 2025: Meaning, Predictions for 12 Zodiac signs
Things to do on Chinese New Year' Eve and New Year's Day to Get the Year-long Good Luck
Chinese people believe that what you do at the beginning of a new year will affect your luck in the coming year. Staying up on Chinese New Year's eve (January 28th, 2025) and saying good words to your family/friends like Happy New Year after the clock strikes 12 will certainly bring good luck.
Giving out red packets to kids and elders will help cast away the bad luck (demon Nian) and bring good luck in.
Besides, decorating your house with kumquat trees (symbolizing wealth & good luck), wearing your lucky color (yellow, red), and eating lucky food like rice dumplings (family togetherness), fried flour-coated peanuts (vitality), walnut cookies (happiness), etc. are popular ways to get lucky.
Chinese New Year Taboos and Superstitions: 18 Things You Should Not Do >>>
Is 2025 Lucky for You? — Chinese Horoscope 2025 for 12 Chinese Zodiac Animals
2025 is a year of the Snake. According to Chinese zodiac predictions, the luckiest zodiac signs in 2025 are Rabbit, Dragon, Horse, Goat, and Rooster. However, if you're born in the Year of the Snake, Tiger and Pig, you might need to brace yourself for various challenges and make more effort than in 2025 to achieve your goals. For more insights, we present the fortunes of the 12 Chinese zodiac signs below.
Click the picture below to check each animal sign's horoscope in 2025:
Why Does Chinese New Year Date Change Every Year?
The date is decided by the Chinese Lunar Calendar, which is based on the cycles of the moon and sun and is generally 21–51 days behind the Gregorian (internationally-used) calendar.
The date of Chinese New Year changes every year, but it always falls between January 21st and February 20th. The day of Chinese New Year is a new moon day, usually the second after the winter solstice.
How Long is the Chinese New Year Holiday?
China's public holiday for Lunar New Year is 8 days, from Chinese New Year's Eve to the 7th day of the lunar calendar new year.
Offices, banks, factories, shops, and most non-essential services will close doors for a week's holiday. Hotels and large retail outlets stay open and may even be busier than usual! School holidays are four weeks long and migrant workers abandon their factory and construction jobs for weeks to return home.
Taiwan enjoys a 7-holiday from from January 27th to February 2nd in 2025. Hong Kong and Macau residents have a 3-day holiday from January 29th to 31st in 2025.
Holidays in other Southeast Asian countries such as Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand and Philippines usually are 1 to 3 days.
How Long is Chinese New Year 2025?
Celebrations of Chinese New Year traditionally last for 16 days, starting from Chinese New Year's Eve to the Lantern Festival. The most notable dates of the Lunar New Year 2025 are these three days:
- Chinese New Year's Eve on January 28th, 2025
- Chinese New Year's Day on January 29th, 2025
- The Lantern Festival on February 12th, 2025
Each day of the 16-day long festival has a name, and usually an assigned purpose or meaning. Below is a table of all the important dates and their meanings.
| Solar Date (2025) | Lunar Date | Title | Purpose / Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan. 28th | 12th month, 30th day 除夕 (Chúxì) |
New Year's Eve (除夕 Chúxì) |
The most important celebration, includes the family reunion dinner, and staying up until midnight. |
| Jan. 29th | 1st month, 1st day 初一 (Chūyī) |
New Year's Day 初一 (Chūyī) |
A day for visiting/greeting family and relatives, giving presents, and visiting ancestors' graves. |
| Jan. 30th | 1st month, 2nd day 初二 (Chū'èr) |
In-Law's Day (迎婿日 Yíngxùrì, or 开年 Kāinián) |
Married women visit their parents with their husbands and children. |
| Jan. 31st | 1st month, 3rd day 初三 (Chūsān) |
Day of the Rat (鼠日 Shǔrì) |
An ominous day, common to stay at home and rest with family, play games. |
| Feb. 1st | 1st month, 4th day 初四 (Chūsì) |
Day of the Sheep (羊日 Yángrì) |
An auspicious day, for prayer and giving offerings, or going to temples or fortune-tellers. |
| Feb. 2nd | 1st month, 5th day 初五 (Chūwǔ) |
Break Five (破五 Pòwǔ) |
Commonly accepted as the day when taboos (from previous days) can be broken. |
| Feb. 3rd | 1st month, 6th day 初六 (Chūliù) |
Day of the Horse (马日 Mǎrì) |
Believed to be the best day to get rid of old, unwanted things. Also an acceptable day to resume labor. |
| Feb. 4th | 1st month, 7th day 初七 (Chūqī) |
Day of Mankind (人日 Rénrì) |
Believed to be the day people were created. Encouraged to spend out in nature. |
| Feb. 5th | 1st month, 8th day 初八 (Chūbā) |
Day of the Grain (谷日节 Gǔrìjié) |
Good weather on this day will symbolize good crops for the year. Many families will have a second 'mini' reunion dinner. |
| Feb, 6th | 1st month, 9th day 初九 (Chūjiǔ) |
Providence Health (天公生 Tiāngōngshēng) |
The 'Jade Emperor's birthday, giving offerings, lighting incense, and setting off firecrackers. |
| Feb. 7th | 1st month, 10th day 初十 (Chūshí) |
Stone Festival (石头节 Shítoujié) |
The birthday of the 'god stone', similar to the previous day's rituals. |
| Feb. 8th | 1st month, 11th day 初十一 (Chūshíyī) |
Son-in-Law Day (子婿日 Zǐxùrì) |
Fathers are expected to 'entertain' or treat their sons-in-law on this day. |
| Feb. 9th – 11th | 1st month, 12th – 14th day 初十二 - 初十四 (Chūshí'èr - Chūshísì) |
Lantern Day Preparations | Preparations for the lantern festival: cooking, making lanterns, etc. |
| Feb. 12th | 1st month, 15th day 初十五 (Chūshíwǔ) |
Lantern Festival (元宵节 Yuánxiāojié) |
Marks the end of the festival. Lanterns are lit and hung or flown, people watch dragon dances in the streets, and children answer lantern riddles. |
Chinese New Year Dates in 2025, 2026...
This table below shows you when Lunar New Year is celebrated from 2025 to 2034 and what the animal signs are for each Chinese zodiac year.
| Year | Date of Chinese New Year | Chinese New Year Holiday | Animal Sign |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Saturday, Feb.10 | Feb. 10-17 | Dragon |
| 2025 | Wednesday, Jan.29 | Jan. 28 to Feb. 3 | Snake |
| 2026 | Tuesday, Feb.17 | Feb. 16-22 | Horse |
| 2027 | Saturday, Feb.6 | Feb. 5-11 | Goat |
| 2028 | Wednesday, Jan.26 | Jan. 25-31 | Monkey |
| 2029 | Tuesday, Feb.13 | Feb. 12-18 | Rooster |
| 2030 | Sunday, Feb.3 | Feb. 2-8 | Dog |
| 2031 | Thursday, Jan.23 | Jan. 22-28 | Pig |
| 2032 | Wednesday, Feb.11 | Feb. 10-16 | Rat |
| 2033 | Monday, Jan.31 | Jan. 30 to Feb 5 | Ox |
| 2034 | Sunday, Feb. 19 | Feb. 18-24 | Tiger |