Lunar New Year celebrations are kickstarting today and ushering in the Year of the Horse. The holiday starts on Feb. 17, the same day as the new moon, and ends on March 3, the date of the next full moon. Here’s everything you need to know about this year’s festivities.
What is Lunar New Year?
Lunar New Year is celebrated in many Asian countries around the world, including China, South Korea, Vietnam, Singapore, Malaysia, the Philippines and Indonesia. It is also widely celebrated by the Asian diaspora in European countries and the U.S.
Celebrations last 15 days. They start during the late January or February new moon and end at the following full moon. Lunar New Year is celebrated in parallel with the Gregorian calendar, which marks the start of the new year on Jan. 1. It follows China’s ancient lunisolar calendar, which is based on the moon’s 12 phases and spanning about 29 days each.
Recognizable celebrations include lion dance troupes, fireworks, firecrackers and gift giving. This year, New York will be hosting its Lunar New Year celebration on March 1, while Los Angeles will host its main event on Feb. 21, according to USA Today.
Lunar New Year marks a transition from one animal of the Chinese zodiac to the other. The Year of the Snake started on Jan. 29, 2025 and ended on Feb. 16, 2026. This year ushers in the Year of the Horse.
What is the Year of the Horse?
Since at least the second century B.C., China’s ancient lunisolar calendar has assigned one of 12 animals of the Chinese zodiac for each year. They repeat in a 12-year cycle, according to National Geographic. Similarly to Western zodiac signs, Chinese zodiac animals are associated with specific personality traits thought to be reflected in the people born that year.
This Lunar New Year ushers in the Year of the Horse. The horse symbolizes strength, grace, endurance, loyalty, freedom and success, as well as possibilities for personal growth and success.
“The horse’s energy is associated with yang energy, which is active, dynamic, and life-generating, and speaks to ambition and vitality,” Jonathan H. X. Lee, an Asian studies professor at San Francisco State University, said in an interview with National Geographic.
Although the Year of the Horse occurs every 12 years, this year is particularly rare in that it hosts the sign of the horse in its fire element. The last Year of the Fire Horse happened 60 years ago.
The lunar calendar also alternates between five signs — earth, wood, fire, metal and water — which rotate every two years. For instance, 2024 was the Year of the Wood Dragon and 2025 was the Year of the Wood Snake. This year marks the Year of the Fire Horse while 2027 will be the Year of the Fire Goat.
The Fire Horse holds similar traits of power, stamina, independence, loyalty, and prosperity.
“The aftermath of fire is growth,” Lee said. “This means that there will be many opportunities for growth, so individuals are encouraged to push forward with personal goals, embrace change, and endure the process for ultimate reward.”
Fire Horse years, also known as Bing-Wu years, are believed to be historically disruptive of the existing order in societies.
“(There) is a long-standing association between Bing-wu years and periods of social or political instability in historical tradition,” Xiaohuan Zhao, a sinology professor at the University of Sydney, told National Geographic.
1966 marked the previous Year of the Fire Horse. It marked the start of China’s Cultural Revolution and the escalation of the Vietnam War. Furthermore Horse years are thought to favor action and independence, while warning against impulsiveness.