The Chinese New Year is the most important of the traditional Chinese holidays. The Celebration of the Chinese New Year run from the first day of the first month of the Chinese calendar, until the 15th day, when the Lantern Festival is held. The Chinese New Year is also celebrated in many other countries of the world, particularly in cities with their own Chinatown.
Chinese Lunar New Year
The Chinese New Year is often mistakenly called the Chinese Lunar New Year, because the Chinese calendar is not lunar but is in fact lunisolar in nature. A lunisolar calendar incorporates elements of a lunar calendar with those of a solar calendar, so the date of the Chinese New Year in the Western (Gregorian) calendar varies from year to year.
Chinese New Years are named in a 60 year cycle, using a Stem-Branch system that has two separate components, the Heavenly Stem and the Earthly Branch.
New Year Names: Stem-Branch System
The full name of each Chinese New Year has two parts, the Stem and the Branch, which are cycled through separately. There are 10 Stems and 12 Branches, making a total of 60 unique Chinese New Year names.
New Year Names: Stem Names
The Stems are named by combining an element of Yin-Yang (Yin being Female and Yang being Male), with one of the five Chinese cosmic elements: Metal, Water, Wood, Fire, and Earth. The cycle of ten Stem names is:
- Yin Metal
- Yang Metal
- Yin Water
- Yang Water
- Yin Wood
- Yang Wood
- Yin Fire
- Yang Fire
- Yin Earth
- Yang Earth
New Year Names: Branch Names
The Branches are named after this cycle of animals, which are the Chinese signs of the zodiac:
Chinese Astrology associates character traits, both positive traits and negative traits, with people born in the year of each of the Animals of the Chinese Zodiac. Chinese Astrology holds that these character traits, and hence the Chinese year of their birth, determine if two people are compatible. People who trust in the Chinese Zodiac consider this compatibility before commencing a relationship, be to a romantic relationship or a business relationship.
Full Cycle of Chinese New Year Names
The most recent cycle of Chinese New Names began in 1984:
- 1984: Rat - Yin Metal
- 1985: Ox - Yang Metal
- 1986: Tiger - Yin Water
- 1987: Rabbit - Yang Water
- 1988: Dragon - Yin Wood
- 1989: Snake - Yang Wood
- 1990: Horse - Yin Fire
- 1991: Sheep - Yang Fire
- 1992: Monkey - Yin Earth
- 1993: Rooster - Yang Earth
- 1994: Dog - Yin Metal
- 1995: Pig - Yang Metal
- 1996: Rat - Yin Water
- 1997: Ox - Yang Water
- 1998: Tiger - Yin Wood
- 1999: Rabbit - Yang Wood
- 2000: Dragon - Yin Fire
- 2001: Snake - Yang Fire
- 2002: Horse - Yin Earth
- 2003: Sheep - Yang Earth
- 2004: Monkey - Yin Metal
- 2005: Rooster - Yang Metal
- 2006: Dog - Yin Water
- 2007: Pig - Yang Water
- 2008: Rat - Yin Wood
- 2009: Ox - Yang Wood
- 2010: Tiger - Yin Fire
- 2011: Rabbit - Yang Fire
- 2012: Dragon - Yin Earth
- 2013: Snake - Yang Earth
- 2014: Horse - Yin Metal
- 2015: Sheep - Yang Metal
- 2016: Monkey - Yin Water
- 2017: Rooster - Yang Water
- 2018: Dog - Yin Wood
- 2019: Pig - Yang Wood
- 2020: Rat - Yin Fire
- 2021: Ox - Yang Fire
- 2022: Tiger - Yin Earth
- 2023: Rabbit - Yang Earth
- 2024: Dragon - Yin Metal
- 2025: Snake - Yang Metal
- 2026: Horse - Yin Water
- 2027: Sheep - Yang Water
- 2028: Monkey - Yin Wood
- 2029: Rooster - Yang Wood
- 2030: Dog - Yin Fire
- 2031: Pig - Yang Fire
- 2032: Rat - Yin Earth
- 2033: Ox - Yang Earth
- 2034: Tiger - Yin Metal
- 2035: Rabbit - Yang Metal
- 2036: Dragon - Yin Water
- 2037: Snake - Yang Water
- 2038: Horse - Yin Wood
- 2039: Sheep - Yang Wood
- 2040: Monkey - Yin Fire
- 2041: Rooster - Yang Fire
- 2042: Dog - Yin Earth
- 2043: Pig - Yang Earth
Chinese New Year Dates 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022
- 2011: Year of the Rabbit: February 3rd
- 2012: Year of the Dragon: January 23rd
- 2013: Year of the Snake: February 10th
- 2014: Year of the Horse: January 31
- 2015: Year of the Sheep: February 19th
- 2016: Year of the Monkey: February 8th
- 2017: Year of the Rooster: January 28th
- 2018: Year of the Dog: February 16th
- 2019: Year of the Pig: February 5th
- 2020: Year of the Rat: January 25th
- 2021: Year of the Ox: February 12th
- 2022: Year of the Tiger: February 1st
Birthstones
Chinese astrology associates a birthstone with each sign of the zodiac. They are designed to support the strengths of the zodiac sign, and to compensate for its weaknesses.
Precious Flowers
Chinese astrology also associates a precious flower with each sign of the zodiac. Each precious flower has its own importance in Chinese culture.
Chinese Astrological Horoscope for 2012
Chinese Astrology makes horoscopes for each Chinese Year in general, and for people belonging to each Chinese Zodiac sign in more detail. For more information, see Chinese Astrology – Horoscope for 2012 Year of the Dragon.
Sources:
Heavenly Stem and Earthly Branch
Mark Tibbits - A professional writer and educator who writes about Astrology, South Asia/China, the UK, the British Royal Family, and Religion.
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