The key dates
| Day | Date |
|---|---|
| New Year's Eve (reunion dinner) | Friday 5 February 2027 |
| Chinese New Year's Day | Saturday 6 February 2027 |
| Lantern Festival (15th day, end of celebrations) | Saturday 20 February 2027 |
| Year of the Goat ends | 25 January 2028 |
The festival is also called Lunar New Year or the Spring Festival (Chūnjié). It is the most important holiday in China and is widely celebrated in Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam (as Tết), Korea (as Seollal) and Chinese communities worldwide.
Why the date moves
Chinese New Year follows a lunisolar calendar, which tracks both the moon and the sun. New Year's Day falls on the second new moon after the winter solstice, which always lands between 21 January and 20 February.
| Year | Date | Animal |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 17 February | Horse |
| 2027 | 6 February | Goat |
| 2028 | 26 January | Monkey |
The Year of the Fire Goat
The Chinese zodiac runs in a 12-year cycle of animals, combined with five elements (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal and Water) to make a 60-year cycle. 2027 is a Fire Goat year, the first since 1967.
The animal is also translated as Sheep or Ram, because the Chinese word, yáng, covers all three.
Goat birth years
| Lunar year starts | Element |
|---|---|
| 5 February 1943 | Water |
| 24 January 1955 | Wood |
| 9 February 1967 | Fire |
| 28 January 1979 | Earth |
| 15 February 1991 | Metal |
| 1 February 2003 | Water |
| 19 February 2015 | Wood |
| 6 February 2027 | Fire |
If you were born in January or early February, check the start date: you may belong to the previous year's animal, the Horse.
In traditional belief, Goat years are associated with calm, creativity and gentleness. Zodiac personality readings are folklore rather than science, but they are a large part of the festival's fun.
Traditions and customs
- Cleaning before, not during. Homes are swept before New Year's Eve to clear away bad luck. Sweeping on New Year's Day is traditionally avoided, so as not to sweep away good fortune.
- Red decorations. Red lanterns, paper cuttings and couplets on doors stand for luck and ward off the mythical beast Nian.
- The reunion dinner. Families gather on New Year's Eve. Dishes carry meanings: fish for surplus, dumplings for wealth (in northern China), and sticky rice cake (niangao) for rising fortunes.
- Red envelopes. Elders and married couples give red envelopes (hongbao or ang pao) of money to children and unmarried relatives. New, crisp notes are preferred, and amounts avoid the number four, which sounds like the word for death.
- Fireworks, lion and dragon dances. These scare off bad luck, though many cities restrict fireworks.
- Greetings. "Xīnnián kuàilè" (Happy New Year) in Mandarin, and "Gong hei fat choy" in Cantonese.
What it means for travel
The weeks around the holiday bring the world's largest annual human migration, known as Chunyun, as hundreds of millions travel home in China.
- Book early. Trains and flights within and to China, and across East and Southeast Asia, fill up and rise in price. Our guide to the best time to book international flights helps with timing.
- Expect closures. Many shops and restaurants in China close for several days around New Year's Day, though big cities and tourist areas stay busier than they used to.
- Holiday dates vary by country. Singapore's dates are in our Singapore 2027 holidays guide. If Japan is on your list for spring, see the 2027 cherry blossom forecast.
What it means for business
Factories and offices in China typically close for at least a week, and many workers take longer. Production and shipping slow for two to four weeks around the holiday. Businesses that import from China usually place orders and confirm shipping dates by early January.
Key takeaways
- Chinese New Year 2027 is on Saturday 6 February.
- It begins the Year of the Fire Goat, which ends on 25 January 2028.
- Goat years include 1967, 1979, 1991, 2003 and 2015.
- Book travel early, and expect business slowdowns for a few weeks.