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About the Chinese New Year countdown
How many days until Chinese New Year? This page shows it live: days, hours, minutes and seconds until the Lunar New Year, on the clock of your own device. Open it and it counts — there is nothing to set.
Chinese New Year, also called the Spring Festival or Lunar New Year, is the first day of the first month of the Chinese lunar calendar. In 2027 it falls on Saturday, February 6, and it starts the Year of the Goat (some say Sheep or Ram). You can count to midnight in your own time zone, or to midnight in Beijing, when the celebrations in China begin.
Features
- Live countdown — days, hours, minutes and seconds, updated every second
- Two moments — midnight on your own clock, or midnight in Beijing (shown in your time)
- The zodiac animal — each year's animal and its emoji, on the board and in the date list
- Sleeps — how many nights are left, for children who can't wait
- Six styles — Lucky red, Red and gold, Lantern night, Plum blossom, Paper cut and Minimal, with rising lanterns
- Dates for three years — this year's New Year and the next two, each with its animal
- Full screen and Keep the screen on — for a classroom, a restaurant or a shop window
When is Chinese New Year?
The date follows the moon: Chinese New Year is on the second new moon after the winter solstice, so it always falls between January 21 and February 20. These are the next dates:
| Year | Chinese New Year | Zodiac animal |
|---|---|---|
| 2027 | Saturday, February 6, 2027 | Goat 🐐 (Fire Goat) |
| 2028 | Wednesday, January 26, 2028 | Monkey 🐒 (Earth Monkey) |
| 2029 | Tuesday, February 13, 2029 | Rooster 🐓 (Earth Rooster) |
| 2030 | Sunday, February 3, 2030 | Dog 🐕 (Metal Dog) |
| 2031 | Thursday, January 23, 2031 | Pig 🐖 (Metal Pig) |
| 2032 | Wednesday, February 11, 2032 | Rat 🐀 (Water Rat) |
The dates are the official ones used in China. Lunar New Year is also celebrated in Korea (Seollal), Vietnam (Tết) and by Chinese communities around the world, usually on the same day.
The 12 zodiac animals
The animals come back every 12 years, in this order: Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog and Pig. 2026 is the Year of the Horse, and 2027 the Year of the Goat. To find your own animal, use the Chinese Zodiac Calculator tool — people born in January or early February belong to the year before.
Six styles
- Lucky red — bright red and gold, the colours of luck and joy
- Red and gold — rich red with gold numbers, like a red envelope
- Lantern night — a dark sky with a full moon and glowing lanterns
- Plum blossom — soft pink flowers, a sign of spring
- Paper cut — a red pattern, like window paper cuttings
- Minimal — plain and clean, in your page's light or dark colours
Ideas for the countdown
- Restaurant or shop — show the board in full screen in the window
- Classroom — count the sleeps and learn the 12 animals
- Family — plan the reunion dinner on New Year's Eve, the night before
- Red envelopes — get the hongbao ready while the days go down
- Lantern Festival — the celebrations end 15 days later with the Lantern Festival
How to use it
- Open the page — the countdown starts by itself
- Pick a style: Lucky red, Red and gold, Lantern night, Plum blossom, Paper cut or Minimal
- Under Count down to, choose midnight in my time zone or midnight in Beijing
- Turn the lanterns and the sound on or off
- Press Full screen to show it on a big screen; press Esc to go back
Frequently asked questions
How many days until Chinese New Year?
The big numbers at the top of this page show it, live, on your own clock. By default they count to midnight in your time zone on the day of the Lunar New Year.
When is Chinese New Year 2027?
Chinese New Year 2027 is on Saturday, February 6, 2027. New Year's Eve, with the reunion dinner, is on Friday, February 5.
What animal is 2027?
2027 is the Year of the Goat — more exactly the Fire Goat. In English the animal is also called the Sheep or the Ram; it is the same sign.
Why does Chinese New Year change every year?
The Chinese calendar follows both the moon and the sun. New Year is on the second new moon after the winter solstice, so on the everyday calendar it moves between January 21 and February 20.
Is Chinese New Year the same as Lunar New Year?
Mostly, yes. "Lunar New Year" is the wider name: it is also celebrated in Korea, Vietnam and other countries. It is usually on the same day, but in a few years Vietnam's Tết is one day apart because of its time zone.
Can I count to midnight in China?
Yes. Choose "Midnight in Beijing" under "Count down to". The board then counts to midnight China time and shows when that is on your own clock.
Related tools
- Chinese Zodiac Calculator — find your animal sign
- Lunar Calendar Converter — lunar and solar dates
- New Year Countdown — to midnight on January 1, with fireworks
- Valentine's Day Countdown — days until February 14
- Winter Countdown — days until the first day of winter
- Countdown to Date — count down to any day
