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Chinese Lunar Calendar

The Chinese calendar — Year of the Horse 2026.

The Chinese calendar is a lunisolar calendar with deep history — its earliest forms date to the 14th century BCE. Months follow the moon (29 or 30 days), while the year is synced to the solar cycle with leap months. 2026 is the Year of the Fire Horse (Bing Wu) in the 60-year sexagenary cycle.

At a glance

Key facts about chinese calendar

Chinese year
4724
Yellow Emperor era
Zodiac
🐎 Horse
Fire element (2026)
Stem-Branch
Bing Wu
23 of 60-year cycle
CNY 2026
17 Feb
Lunar New Year
CNY 2027
6 Feb
Year of the Goat
Type
Lunisolar
Moon months + solar terms
Months
12 or 13
Leap month every 2-3 years
Solar terms
24
Jieqi (节气)
The 12 zodiac animals

12-year zodiac and 60-year cycle

The Chinese zodiac repeats every 12 years: 🐀 Rat, 🐂 Ox, 🐅 Tiger, 🐇 Rabbit, 🐉 Dragon, 🐍 Snake, 🐎 Horse, 🐐 Goat, 🐒 Monkey, 🐓 Rooster, 🐕 Dog, 🐖 Pig.

Each animal is paired with one of 5 elements (wood, fire, earth, metal, water) and a yin-yang polarity. This creates a 60-year cycle (12 × 5). 2026 is "Bing Wu" — Yang Fire Horse.

Recent and upcoming years: 2024 Wood Dragon, 2025 Wood Snake, 2026 Fire Horse, 2027 Fire Goat, 2028 Earth Monkey.

Major festivals 2026

Chinese calendar holidays

Chinese New Year (Spring Festival) — 17 February 2026, beginning Year of the Horse.

Lantern Festival (Yuanxiao) — 3 March 2026.

Qingming (Tomb-Sweeping Day) — 5 April 2026.

Dragon Boat Festival (Duanwu) — 19 June 2026.

Qixi (Chinese Valentine's) — 19 August 2026.

Mid-Autumn Festival (Zhongqiu) — 25 September 2026.

Double Ninth Festival (Chongyang) — 18 October 2026.

Winter Solstice (Dongzhi) — 21 December 2026.

Frequently asked questions

When is Chinese New Year 2026?
Chinese New Year 2026 falls on 17 February 2026, beginning the Year of the Fire Horse.
What animal is 2026?
2026 is the Year of the Horse (Bing Wu) — specifically, Fire Horse in the sexagenary cycle.
How are Chinese calendar months calculated?
Each month begins on the new moon. The leap month is inserted in the year that contains 13 new moons between two winter solstices.
Is Chinese New Year always the same date?
No — it falls between January 21 and February 20, depending on when the second new moon after the winter solstice occurs.
What's the difference between Chinese and Lunar New Year?
Chinese New Year refers specifically to the festival as celebrated in Chinese culture. "Lunar New Year" is a broader term that includes Korean Seollal, Vietnamese Tết, and Tibetan Losar — all celebrating the same lunisolar new year.

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Chinese calendar
Year of the Horse · 17 Feb 2026