When Is Lunar New Year? Dates for 2026–2036
Lunar New Year, also called the Spring Festival, is day 1 of the 1st lunar month. In Taiwan the holiday runs from New Year's Eve through day 3, often stretched by adjusted working days.
Lunar New Year dates, 2026–2036
| Lunar year | Lunar New Year (Gregorian) |
|---|---|
| 2026 (Horse) | Tue, Feb 17, 2026 |
| 2027 (Goat) | Sat, Feb 6, 2027 |
| 2028 (Monkey) | Wed, Jan 26, 2028 |
| 2029 (Rooster) | Tue, Feb 13, 2029 |
| 2030 (Dog) | Sun, Feb 3, 2030 |
| 2031 (Pig) | Thu, Jan 23, 2031 |
| 2032 (Rat) | Wed, Feb 11, 2032 |
| 2033 (Ox) | Mon, Jan 31, 2033 |
| 2034 (Tiger) | Sun, Feb 19, 2034 |
| 2035 (Rabbit) | Thu, Feb 8, 2035 |
| 2036 (Dragon) | Mon, Jan 28, 2036 |
Converted by our calendar engine (UTC+8). Taiwan public holiday status: a public holiday (days 1 to 3 of the first month). Actual days off follow the announcement of the Directorate-General of Personnel Administration.
Common Lunar New Year customs in Taiwan
- Day 1: visiting family and friends with New Year greetings; many go to a temple to burn incense.
- Day 2: married daughters visit their parents' home.
- Day 5: "Gekai", when many shops and offices reopen and welcome the God of Wealth.
- Day 9: honoring Tiangong, the Jade Emperor, whose birthday Taiwanese folk religion keeps on this day.
How Lunar New Year's Day 2027 unfolds (Sat, Feb 6)
Opening the year, offerings to the gods and ancestors. Early on day 1 (in some homes right after the zi hour), the front door is opened and firecrackers set off to "open the year" (kaizheng); then come offerings at home to the gods and ancestors, usually sweets, candy and plain tea, for a sweet new year.
A vegetarian breakfast. Many people eat vegetarian food on the morning of day 1, some all day, the idea being to take no life on the first day of the year and to pray for the family. It is a habit, not a rule, and each family decides for itself.
New Year outings and temple visits. Going to a temple on day 1 to burn incense, pick up a safety charm or draw an oracle lot about the year ahead is a very common way to start the year in Taiwan; at busy temples people queue from midnight on the eve to offer the first incense. You can look up a lot you have drawn in our Sixty Jiazi oracle or Guanyin oracle.
New Year visits and red envelopes. Visiting relatives and friends, people say "xin nian kuai le" (Happy New Year) and "gong xi fa cai" (wishing you prosperity) and bring a gift box. Elders give children red envelopes, avoiding amounts with a four.
The day the zodiac sign changes, in everyday reckoning. Day 1 is when the zodiac sign changes in popular counting, but BaZi, our charts and Tai Sui all change the year at Li Chun; for people born between late January and mid-February the two counts can differ. See the Chinese zodiac.
Days 1 to 5 of 2027 at a glance
| Day | Date | Custom | Day clashes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Sat, Feb 6 | New Year visits and incense | Clashes Dog |
| Day 2 | Sun, Feb 7 | Married daughters visit their parents | Clashes Pig |
| Day 3 | Mon, Feb 8 | Red Dog Day: rest at home | Clashes Rat |
| Day 4 | Tue, Feb 9 | Welcoming the gods back | Clashes Ox |
| Day 5 | Wed, Feb 10 | Gekai: welcoming the God of Wealth, reopening | Clashes Tiger |
Where Lunar New Year comes from, and what each of days 1 to 5 is for
Day 1 of the 1st lunar month was once called Yuandan or Yuanri, "the first day of the year." After the Republic of China adopted the Gregorian calendar in its early years, January 1 became Yuandan, and the lunar New Year was renamed the Spring Festival (Chunjie), as it is still called today; that is why calendars in Taiwan show both New Year's Day and the Spring Festival.
Each of the first days has its own purpose. Day 1 opens the year with visits. On day 2 married daughters return to their parents' home with husband and children, and the family prepares a meal. Day 3 is Red Dog Day: the "red dog" is a god of fire or of quarrels, so traditionally no one visits or hosts guests that day, to avoid arguments, and everyone gets a rest after several busy days. Day 4 welcomes back the gods who left on day 24 of the 12th month. Day 5, Gekai, ends the holiday restrictions and daily life returns to normal.
As for "opening the year" (kaizheng), Taiwanese households open the front door at the zi hour of day 1 or early that morning, at a chosen auspicious time, setting off firecrackers and honoring heaven and earth to mark the real start of the year. Some families consult the almanac for the direction and hour; that is a family custom, and we do not calculate it separately.
Common taboos on day 1
| The custom | Where it comes from and what it means |
|---|---|
| No sweeping, no taking out the rubbish | For fear of sweeping the new year's luck out of the door. If you must sweep, sweep from the door inward, and keep the rubbish until day 5, Gekai. |
| No quarrels, no scolding children | A peaceful first day stands for a harmonious household all year. |
| No knives, scissors or needlework | Folk belief says you might "cut off" your good luck; it also gives people who worked hard all year a proper rest. |
| No afternoon nap | A saying holds that "nap on day 1 and you will be lazy all year"; really it nudges people to get out for New Year visits. |
| No lending, no chasing debts | As on the eve, for fear of money flowing out or a year spent chasing debts. |
These are folk customs, and versions differ by region and family; whether to keep them is up to you and your family, and they are not verdicts of fortune.
The almanac for Lunar New Year's Day 2027, and which sign it clashes
February 6, 2027 is day 1 of the lunar new year. Its almanac entries and clash are below; people of the sign the day clashes can postpone important business, while New Year visits go ahead as usual.
| Date | Sat, Feb 6, 2027 |
|---|---|
| Lunar date | 1st lunar month, day 1 · Bing-Chen day |
| Favorable | Marriage, Coming-of-age rites, Betrothal gifts, Travel, Visiting family and friends, Raising the ridgepole, Installing machinery, Setting up the bed, Raising animals, Hunting, Ancestral offerings, Praying for blessings |
| Avoid | Moving in, Building a stove, Medical treatment, Burials, Moving house |
| Clash and sha | clashes with the Dog (戌); sha in the due south |
| Day spirit and officer | Golden Coffer (Yellow Path) · Full day |
The day branch is Chen (辰), the Dragon's branch. It clashes with the Dog; it forms a Six Combination with the Rooster and a trine with the Monkey and Rat. No other sign clashes.
Calculated by our calendar engine (the same one behind the date finder and daily almanac); printed almanacs sometimes differ.
Lunar ⇄ Gregorian converter
Pick a direction and enter a date. For lunar to Gregorian, tick "leap month" if the date is in a leap month; a lunar birthday also shows its Gregorian date for the next 10 years. Everything is calculated in your browser.
For lunar dates, month 1 is the first month and month 12 the last (the "La" month). Covers the years 1901 to 2099.
A common misconception
The zodiac animal and the BaZi year both change at Lunar New Year.
The zodiac animal is popularly counted from Lunar New Year, but the BaZi year pillar changes at the Start of Spring (Lichun, around February 4). The two can be about two weeks apart.
Other festivals and conversions
A straight word: BaZi follows the solar terms, not lunar dates
The Chinese calendar is lunisolar: months follow the moon, and festivals and lunar birthdays are counted by it. BaZi does not use lunar months, though. Its year changes at the Start of Spring and its months at the solar terms, and a chart is cast from the Gregorian birth date and time. Our conversions use China Standard Time (UTC+8), the same time zone as the lunar calendar published by Taiwan's Central Weather Administration. Everything on this site is for reference and entertainment.
Beyond the festivals, read your own chart
BaZi sets its years and months by the solar terms and is cast from your Gregorian birth time. Enter your birthday to get your four pillars for free.
Lunar New Year: common questions
When is Lunar New Year in 2026?
Tue, Feb 17, 2026. In 2027 it falls on Sat, Feb 6, 2027.
What lunar date is Lunar New Year?
Day 1 of the 1st lunar month.
Is Lunar New Year a day off?
In Taiwan it is a public holiday (days 1 to 3 of the first month). Actual days off follow the official government announcement.
Is it true you should not sweep on day 1?
Folk custom says not to sweep or take out the rubbish on day 1, for fear of sweeping out good luck; if you must, sweep from the door inward and keep the rubbish until day 5. It is a custom, not a rule.
Does the zodiac sign change at Lunar New Year or at Li Chun?
In everyday reckoning it changes on day 1; BaZi, our charts and Tai Sui change the year at Li Chun. The difference only matters for people born between late January and mid-February.
Which zodiac sign does Lunar New Year's Day 2027 clash with?
February 6, 2027 is a Bing-Chen day, which clashes with the Dog. New Year visits go ahead as usual; by custom, only important business is moved to another day.
Why do people not visit on day 3?
Day 3 is known as Red Dog Day; legend says a god of quarrels is on duty, so visiting easily leads to arguments, and traditionally people stay home to rest. Many now go out anyway; follow your own habits.
Do married daughters have to visit their parents on day 2?
It is a widespread custom in Taiwan, but every family's situation differs, for example when parents live abroad or the two families live far apart; arrange whatever suits everyone. The point is being together, not the date itself.