Date & Time · Lunar calendar
Lunar New Year dates by year.
Choose a year to see the Gregorian date of Lunar New Year, the eve, the zodiac animal and how far away it is.
Short answer: Lunar New Year 2027 falls on Saturday, February 6, 2027, the start of the Year of the Goat. In 2026 it fell on Tuesday, February 17, the Year of the Horse.
Where the dates come from
The Hong Kong Observatory publishes a Gregorian-Lunar conversion table for every year. Lunar New Year is the row marked as the 1st day of the 1st lunar month. This page lists that row for 2024 to 2035, together with the weekday, the day before (New Year's Eve), and the stem-branch name and animal the Observatory prints in the table heading.
Lunar New Year, 2024 to 2035
| Year | Lunar New Year | Eve | Zodiac year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Saturday 2024-02-10 | Friday 2024-02-09 | Dragon (Jia-chen) |
| 2025 | Wednesday 2025-01-29 | Tuesday 2025-01-28 | Snake (Yi-si) |
| 2026 | Tuesday 2026-02-17 | Monday 2026-02-16 | Horse (Bing-wu) |
| 2027 | Saturday 2027-02-06 | Friday 2027-02-05 | Goat (Ding-wei) |
| 2028 | Wednesday 2028-01-26 | Tuesday 2028-01-25 | Monkey (Wu-shen) |
| 2029 | Tuesday 2029-02-13 | Monday 2029-02-12 | Rooster (Ji-you) |
| 2030 | Sunday 2030-02-03 | Saturday 2030-02-02 | Dog (Geng-xu) |
| 2031 | Thursday 2031-01-23 | Wednesday 2031-01-22 | Pig (Xin-hai) |
| 2032 | Wednesday 2032-02-11 | Tuesday 2032-02-10 | Mouse (Ren-zi) |
| 2033 | Monday 2033-01-31 | Sunday 2033-01-30 | Ox (Gui-chou) |
| 2034 | Sunday 2034-02-19 | Saturday 2034-02-18 | Tiger (Jia-yin) |
| 2035 | Thursday 2035-02-08 | Wednesday 2035-02-07 | Rabbit (Yi-mao) |
Worked example: 2027
The Observatory's 2027 table heads the year "Ding-wei, year of the Goat". Its listing shows 5 February 2027 as the 29th day of the 12th lunar month and 6 February 2027 as the 1st day of the 1st lunar month. So the eve is Friday, February 5, 2027 and Lunar New Year is Saturday, February 6, 2027. The previous year, 2026, began on Tuesday, February 17, 2026 for the Year of the Horse, 19 days after the 2025 start on 29 January, because twelve lunar months are shorter than a Gregorian year and a leap month is added only in some years.
Why the date moves between late January and mid-February
In this table the earliest Lunar New Year is 23 January (2031) and the latest is 19 February (2034). The lunar calendar follows the moon, and a leap month is added in some years to keep it aligned with the seasons, so the start drifts across a window of about four weeks.
Goat, sheep or ram?
The Observatory prints "Goat" for 2027. The Chinese character for the eighth animal is read as goat, sheep or ram depending on the language and the community, and all three appear in English-language calendars. They refer to the same year.
What this page does not cover
The dates are Hong Kong calendar dates based on the Chinese calendar. Public holidays, which vary by country and year, are set by each government and are not listed here.
Frequently asked questions
When is Lunar New Year in 2027?
Lunar New Year 2027 is on Saturday, February 6, 2027, the first day of the Year of the Goat (Ding-wei), according to the Hong Kong Observatory conversion table. The eve is Friday, February 5.
When was Lunar New Year in 2026?
Tuesday, February 17, 2026, the start of the Year of the Horse (Bing-wu).
Is Lunar New Year the same as Chinese New Year?
They usually refer to the same day, the first day of the first lunar month. Lunar New Year is the broader term because several countries and communities celebrate it.
Why is the date different every year?
The lunar calendar follows the moon, so a year is not the same length as a Gregorian year. A leap month is added in some years, which moves the start between late January and mid-February.
Is the year of the Goat the same as the year of the Sheep?
Yes. The Hong Kong Observatory names 2027 the Year of the Goat. English calendars also say Sheep or Ram for the same year.
Where do these dates come from?
From the Hong Kong Observatory Gregorian-Lunar Calendar Conversion Tables for 2024 to 2035, read on 26 October 2026.
Sources
Retrieved
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Calendar dates only
These are Gregorian dates for the first day of the first lunar month as published by the Hong Kong Observatory. Check your government for official public holidays.