If your 2026 New Year’s resolutions have gone out the window, fear not. Chinese New Year, sometimes called Lunar New Year or Spring Festival, arrives on 17 February 2026, along with a new moon in Aquarius and a solar eclipse, bringing the fresh start energy we all need to get back on track.
Lunar New Year is celebrated by billions of people across the globe and is a huge annual event in China, Vietnam, South Korea, Tibet and much of South East Asia. And if you’ve been anywhere near your phone in the last few weeks, you may have noticed it’s big on TikTok, too. You don’t have to scroll for long to find someone exclaiming that the upcoming Year of the Horse is going to fix everything! Incoming energy! Passion and purpose! Reinvention! Freedom! Movement! Momentum! Sounds pretty good, right? But what does it all mean?
21 best Lunar New Year gifts for the Year of the Horse
What exactly is the Year of the Horse?
In Chinese astrology, the zodiac features 12 animal signs – Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog & Pig – each representing different personality types and traits. Each animal sign presides over a year in turn, in a repeating 12-year cycle that begins each Lunar New Year. On Lunar New Year 2025 we entered the Year of the Snake, which means the Year of the Horse begins on 17 February 2026.
How do I discover which Chinese zodiac animal I am?
It all depends on what year you were born! Enter your date of birth here to find out. Or for a quick check, consult the list below. Note: if your birthday is January or February and before the Chinese New Year, you’ll share the same animal as people from the previous year. For example, if you were born on 5 February 1989 your zodiac animal is a Dragon along with everyone born from 17 February 1988 onwards, but if you were born a day later on 6 February (Lunar New Year 1989) you’re a Snake!
- Rat: 1948 1960 1972 1984 1996 2008 2020
- Ox: 1949 1961 1973 1985 1997 2009 2021
- Tiger: 1950 1962 1974 1986 1998 2010 2022
- Rabbit: 1951 1963 1975 1987 1999 2011 2023
- Dragon: 1952 1964 1976 1988 2000 2012 2024
- Snake: 1953 1965 1977 1989 2001 2013 2025
- Horse: 1954 1966 1978 1990 2002 2014 2026
- Goat: 1955 1967 1979 1991 2003 2015 2027
- Monkey: 1956 1968 1980 1992 2004 2016 2028
- Rooster: 1957 1969 1981 1993 2005 2017 2029
- Dog: 1958 1970 1982 1994 2006 2018 2030
- Pig: 1959 1971 1983 1995 2007 2019 2031
What’s all this about a Fire Horse?
Chinese astrology also references five different elements: wood, fire, earth, metal and water. These move through a 60-year cycle and are associated with different traits, fortunes and seasons. The last Year of the Horse was in 2014 and was a Wood Horse year, which means it’s a Fire Horse year in 2026. Fire years are said to usher in action, change, intensity and progress. Chinese astrology also sees each year alternate between Yin (softer, gentler) and Yang (active and purposeful) energy, with 2026 being a Yang year. You can use the link above to discover what element is connected to your zodiac animal.
So, how will the Year of the Fire Horse affect me?
Every Lunar New Year ushers in fresh starts and new beginnings and according to Chinese astrology the horse represents traits such as independence, confidence, energy and dynamism. The element of fire adds intensity, motivation and passion to the mix, bringing the kind of forward-thinking energy we need to get stuff done as 2026 hits its stride.
There’s also the ending of the Year of the Wood Snake to factor in here. We all know snakes shed their skins and snake years can usher in a sense of letting go and release. Snake years are introspective, transformational and focussed on creating space for better things to come. So, if you’ve been through the mill lately and feel ready to leave one version of you behind as you step into a brighter, better more focused 2026, the Fire Horse has got your back.
