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The Rooster in ink wash

Chinese New Year 2029

Tuesday, 13 February 2029. It opens the Year of the Earth Rooster, 己酉, which runs until 2 February 2030.

  • New Year's Eve12 February 2029
  • New Year's Day13 February 2029
  • Lantern Festival27 February 2029
  • Animal and elementEarth Rooster 土鸡, Yin
  • Year ends2 February 2030; the next new year is 3 February 2030
More on the Earth Rooster year

What the Rooster year carries

The Rooster

Observant, honest and hard-working. The Rooster announces the dawn: it is the sign of punctuality and of saying what it sees.

A rooster crowing at the right hour was once how a village knew the day had begun.

Earth 土

Earth years are associated with steadiness and care: harvest, soil, the centre. Earth years favour steadiness: consolidating, caring for what is already there, the harvest of earlier work.

The pairing of stem and branch, 己酉, returns once every sixty years; the last Earth Rooster year was 1969, the next is 2089.

How the festival is kept

  1. New Year's Eve, 12 February 2029

    The reunion dinner (年夜饭): the whole family at one table, dumplings in the north, fish everywhere because 鱼 sounds like "surplus". Red couplets go up on the door, and the house is already cleaned so bad luck is not swept out in the new year.

  2. New Year's Day, 13 February 2029

    Red envelopes (红包) from elders to children, visits to relatives in order of seniority, new clothes, and the first words of the year chosen with care: 新年快乐, happy new year, and 恭喜发财, wishing you prosperity.

  3. Lantern Festival, 27 February 2029

    The fifteenth night, the first full moon of the year: lanterns, riddles hung on them, and sweet rice balls (汤圆) whose round shape stands for the family together. It closes the season.

Chinese New Year in other years

The second new moon after the winter solstice, so it moves between 21 January and 20 February.

  • 202410 February 2024, Wood Dragon
  • 202529 January 2025, Wood Snake
  • 202617 February 2026, Fire Horse
  • 20276 February 2027, Fire Goat
  • 202826 January 2028, Earth Monkey
  • 20303 February 2030, Metal Dog
  • 203123 January 2031, Metal Pig
  • 203211 February 2032, Water Rat
  • 203331 January 2033, Water Ox
  • 203419 February 2034, Wood Tiger
  • 20358 February 2035, Wood Rabbit

Questions

When is Chinese New Year 2029?

Tuesday, 13 February 2029. New Year's Eve is 12 February 2029, and the Lantern Festival that closes the celebrations is 27 February 2029.

What animal is 2029 in the Chinese zodiac?

The Rooster. From 13 February 2029 to 2 February 2030 it is the year of the Earth Rooster (己酉). Before 13 February 2029, the year still belongs to the previous animal.

Why does the date change every year?

The festival falls on the second new moon after the winter solstice, so it moves between 21 January and 20 February on the Western calendar.

How long does Chinese New Year last?

Fifteen days, from New Year's Day to the Lantern Festival on the fifteenth of the first lunar month. Most people have a week of public holiday in mainland China.

Born in a Rooster year?

Your animal depends on the exact date, not the calendar year.

Find your animal

Enter your birthday and we count it by the lunar calendar: the animal, its element, your lunar birth date and your next zodiac year.

Chinese zodiac calculator

Want the Rooster in ink on your wall? The zodiac poster sets the animal above your name and lunar birthday. Giving a Chinese name this new year? Three real names, free.