Chinese New Year 2024 falls on Saturday, February 10th, 2024, starting a year of the Wood Dragon. As a public holiday, Chinese people will get 8 days off from work from February 10th to February 17th in 2024.
What is the Chinese New Year 2024 Animal? — Wood Dragon
The Chinese zodiac gives each year an animal sign.Chinese New Year 2024 is a Year of the Dragon, more specifically, Wood Dragon, starting from February 10th, 2024, and lasting until January 28th, 2025.
Recent/upcoming years of the Dragon are 2024, 2012, 2000, and 1988. If you were born in one of the above years, then you are a Dragon. You will experience your zodiac birth sign year (benmingnian) in 2024, 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 2024 on our page Year of the Dragon 2024: 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 (February 9th, 2024) 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 2024 Lucky for You? — Chinese Horoscope 2024 for 12 Chinese Zodiac Animals
2024 is a year of the Dragon. According to Chinese zodiac predictions, the luckiest zodiac signs in 2024 are Monkeys, Roosters, and Pigs. Following closely behind are Tigers, Rabbits, Snakes, Monkeys, Roosters, and Dogs. However, if you're born in the Year of the Rat, Ox, Dragon, Horse, Goat, or Dog, you might need to brace yourself for various challenges and make more effort than in 2023 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 2024:
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 to the 8th 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 February 8 to 14 in 2024. Hong Kong residents have a 4-day holiday from February 10th to 13th, 2024. Macau residents have a 6-day holiday from February 9th to 14th, 2024.
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 2024?
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 2024 are these three days:
- Chinese New Year's Eve on February 9th, 2024
- Chinese New Year's Day on February 10th, 2024
- The Lantern Festival on February 24th, 2024
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 (2024) | Lunar Date | Title | Purpose / Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feb. 9th | 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. |
| Feb. 10th | 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. |
| Feb. 11th | 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. |
| Feb. 12th | 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. 13th | 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. 14th | 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. 15th | 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. 16th | 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. 17th | 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, 18th | 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. 19th | 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. 20th | 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. 21st – 23th | 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. 24th | 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 2024, 2025...
This table below shows you when Lunar New Year is celebrated from 2024 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 |