春节 · Spring Festival 2027
Chinese New Year 2027
Chinese New Year 2027 falls on February 6, 2027, a Saturday. It opens the Year of the Fire Goat (丁未), which runs until January 25, 2028. New Year's Eve is Friday, February 5.
Key dates, day by day
Little Year
Households thank the Kitchen God before he reports to heaven, and begin the deep clean. In much of southern China the day falls one day later.
New Year's Eve
The reunion dinner, the most important meal of the year. Families gather, eat fish and dumplings, and stay up late to see the year out.
Lunar New Year's Day
Red envelopes for children, new clothes, firecrackers where they are still allowed, and visits to the oldest relatives first.
Day 2: visiting family
Married daughters traditionally return to their parents' home, and many families visit the wife's side today.
Day 3: a quiet day
Folk belief calls this an argumentative day, so many people stay in and avoid visits.
Day 5: God of Wealth
The taboos of the first days end, shops reopen, and businesses welcome the God of Wealth with firecrackers and offerings.
Everyone's Birthday
Said to be the day humans were created, so everyone adds a year. Many families eat a raw-fish salad called yu sheng and toss it for luck.
Lantern Festival
The last night of the season: lantern displays, riddles, and sweet glutinous rice balls called tangyuan.
Do
Clean before, not during
Sweep and wash everything in the days before New Year's Day so the old year's bad luck leaves with the dust.
Wear red
Red is the color of luck and protection. It matters most in a Ben Ming Nian, the year of your own zodiac sign.
Give red envelopes
Put an even amount of new bills in a red envelope. Avoid anything with the digit 4, which sounds like the word for death.
Eat for luck
Fish for surplus, dumplings for wealth, rice cakes for progress, oranges and tangerines for good fortune.
Greet the elders first
Visit the eldest relatives early, bring fruit or sweets in pairs, and keep conversation cheerful.
Don't
Don't sweep or take out the trash on Day 1
Sweeping is said to sweep fortune out of the house. Do the cleaning beforehand and leave the broom alone.
Don't wash your hair or cut it
Hair (髮) sounds like the word for prosperity (發), so washing it is said to wash prosperity away.
Don't use scissors or knives
Cutting is linked with cutting off luck. Prepare your food in advance.
Don't say unlucky words
Avoid talk of death, sickness, ghosts or breaking things. If something breaks, say "sui sui ping an" (peace every year).
Don't borrow or lend money
Settle debts before New Year's Eve and start the year clear.
Don't wear black or white
These are mourning colors in traditional custom, so most people choose red, gold and bright colors.
Greetings to use
- 新年快乐xīn nián kuài lè
- Happy New Year
- 恭喜发财gōng xǐ fā cái
- Wishing you prosperity
- 万事如意wàn shì rú yì
- May everything go as you wish
- 身体健康shēn tǐ jiàn kāng
- Good health
- 年年有余nián nián yǒu yú
- A surplus every year (said over fish)
- 羊年大吉yáng nián dà jí
- Great luck in the Year of the Goat
Lucky dates around the festival
Many families wait until after New Year to marry, move, or open a business, and the almanac rates each day differently. Day 5 (February 10) is the traditional day shops reopen. See how every day of the season reads:
What 2027 holds for your sign
Frequently asked questions
- When is Chinese New Year 2027?
- Chinese New Year falls on Saturday, February 6, 2027, with New Year's Eve on Friday, February 5. The celebration runs until the Lantern Festival on Saturday, February 20, 2027.
- What animal is 2027?
- 2027 is the Year of the Goat, specifically the Fire Goat (丁未). The Chinese word yang covers goat, sheep and ram, so you will also see it called the Year of the Sheep. Many Chinese families regard the Goat as gentle and artistic.
- How long is Chinese New Year?
- The traditional celebration lasts fifteen days, from New Year's Day to the Lantern Festival. Public holidays are shorter. In mainland China the official break is usually seven or eight days around New Year's Day.
- Is it bad luck to be born in a Goat year or to be a Goat in 2027?
- Not bad luck, but your own zodiac year (本命年) is traditionally treated as a year of exposure and change. Many people wear red and take extra care over big decisions, which is where choosing an auspicious date for a wedding or a move comes in.
- What should I not do on Chinese New Year's Day?
- Traditionally you avoid sweeping, washing your hair, using scissors, borrowing money, wearing black or white, and speaking of death or illness. The aim is to start the year without sending good fortune away.