Chinese New Year 2027 is on Saturday, February 6, 2027. It starts the Year of the Fire Goat. New Year’s Eve, the night of the big family dinner, is Friday, February 5, and the festival season runs to the Lantern Festival on Saturday, February 20.
Chinese New Year, also called the Spring Festival or Lunar New Year, follows the Chinese lunisolar calendar, so its Gregorian date changes every year. This guide explains why it lands on February 6 in 2027, gives the dates and zodiac animals through 2030, and covers what the date means for travel, work and school in the US and in Asia.
Chinese New Year 2027: key dates
| Day | Date |
|---|---|
| New Year’s Eve (reunion dinner) | Friday, February 5, 2027 |
| New Year’s Day, first day of the first month | Saturday, February 6, 2027 |
| Second and third days (common visiting days) | Sunday, February 7 – Monday, February 8, 2027 |
| Lantern Festival, the 15th day | Saturday, February 20, 2027 |
The Lantern Festival is the 15th and final day of the celebration. In 2027 it coincides with February’s full moon, the Snow Moon, which our 2027 moon phase calendar puts at 6:24 p.m. Eastern time on February 20. You can follow the days left on our Chinese New Year countdown.
Why Chinese New Year 2027 falls on February 6
The Chinese calendar is lunisolar. Its months start on the day of a new moon, and its years are kept in step with the seasons by adding an extra month in some years. New Year’s Day is the first day of the first month, and it always falls between January 21 and February 20.
In 2027 the new moon that opens the year arrives at 15:56 UTC on February 6. That is 11:56 p.m. in China, just minutes before midnight, so the new month and the new year begin on February 6 there. In the US the same new moon falls at 10:56 a.m. Eastern time.
Because 12 lunar months add up to about 354 days, the date usually moves 10 to 12 days earlier each year. When the calendar inserts a leap month, the next New Year jumps back later by about 18 to 19 days. You can see both moves in the table below: 2027 is 11 days earlier than 2026 and 2028 is 11 days earlier again, then 2029 jumps forward to February 13.
Dates and zodiac animals, 2026 to 2030
| Year | Chinese New Year | Zodiac year |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Tuesday, February 17, 2026 | Fire Horse |
| 2027 | Saturday, February 6, 2027 | Fire Goat |
| 2028 | Wednesday, January 26, 2028 | Earth Monkey |
| 2029 | Tuesday, February 13, 2029 | Earth Rooster |
| 2030 | Sunday, February 3, 2030 | Metal Dog |
For every year back to 1960, see our Chinese zodiac years chart.
The Year of the Fire Goat
The Chinese zodiac pairs 12 animals with five elements (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal and Water), so each combination returns every 60 years. The last Fire Goat year was 1967 and the next will be 2087. The most recent Goat year of any element was 2015 (Wood Goat), and the next after 2027 is 2039 (Earth Goat).
You will also see the animal called the Sheep or the Ram. These are different English translations of the same zodiac sign, so “Year of the Sheep 2027” and “Year of the Goat 2027” mean the same thing.
One detail matters for birthdays: the zodiac year starts on Chinese New Year, not on January 1. A baby born on February 1, 2027 is born in the Year of the Horse, because the Goat year only begins on February 6. If you were born in January or early February, check the New Year date for your birth year before you look up your sign.
Chinese New Year in the US: is anything closed?
Chinese New Year is not a federal holiday, and in 2027 it falls on a Saturday anyway. Federal offices, banks and the Postal Service keep their normal weekend schedule, and the New York Stock Exchange doesn’t list it as a market holiday. Some US school districts close for Lunar New Year, so check your district’s calendar, especially for Monday, February 8.
February 2027 is busy. Ramadan is expected to begin on Monday, February 8 (see our Ramadan 2027 guide), Mardi Gras is Tuesday, February 9, Valentine’s Day is Sunday, February 14, and Presidents’ Day is Monday, February 15. The February 2027 calendar shows them side by side.
Public holidays in China and across Asia
Several countries give official days off for the Lunar New Year. Based on our world holiday data for 2027:
- China: New Year’s Eve, Friday, February 5, through Wednesday, February 10, with the weekend days covered by days off in lieu. See public holidays in China in 2027.
- South Korea (Seollal): Saturday, February 6 through Monday, February 8, plus an alternative holiday on Tuesday, February 9.
- Vietnam (Tết): Thursday, February 4 through Wednesday, February 10.
- Singapore: Saturday, February 6 and Sunday, February 7, with Monday, February 8 off in lieu.
Governments confirm the exact days off, including any make-up working days, in their own official schedules, so check those before you book anything that depends on them.
Planning travel and business around the holiday
- Book early. Many people travel home for the reunion dinner on February 5, so expect crowded trains and flights in China in the days before it.
- Expect slow replies. Many offices, factories and suppliers in mainland China close for the official holiday, and some close for longer. If you work with suppliers there, place orders and confirm shipping well before the end of January.
- Count the gap. If a contract gives “10 business days”, holidays abroad can stretch it. Our date calculator adds days or weeks to any date.
- Time zones. China is 13 hours ahead of US Eastern time in February, so the new year starts there at 11:00 a.m. Eastern on Friday, February 5.
Frequently asked questions
What day is Chinese New Year 2027?
Saturday, February 6, 2027. New Year’s Eve is Friday, February 5, and the Lantern Festival that closes the season is Saturday, February 20.
What animal is 2027 in the Chinese zodiac?
The Goat, also translated as Sheep or Ram, with the element Fire. The Year of the Fire Goat runs from February 6, 2027 to January 25, 2028; the Earth Monkey year begins on January 26, 2028.
Why does Chinese New Year change every year?
It follows the Chinese lunisolar calendar, which starts each month on a new moon. The New Year is the first day of the first month and always falls between January 21 and February 20 on the Gregorian calendar.
Is Chinese New Year a federal holiday in the US?
No. It isn’t on the federal holiday list, so federal offices, banks and the stock market follow their normal schedule. Some public school districts close for it.
Is Lunar New Year the same as Chinese New Year?
Lunar New Year is the wider name for the same new year as it’s celebrated across East and Southeast Asia, including Seollal in Korea and Tết in Vietnam. In 2027 all three start on Saturday, February 6.