When Is the Year of the Horse? 2026–2027 Start and End Dates
When is the Year of the Horse? It runs from February 17, 2026 to February 5, 2027. Those are the Lunar New Year dates used for the popular zodiac. BaZi (Four Pillars) astrology uses the solar term Li Chun instead. It starts the Fire Horse year on February 4, 2026 and ends it on February 4, 2027.
Two calendars, one year: Lunar New Year vs Li Chun
The Chinese calendar is lunisolar, so it tracks both the moon and the sun, and different traditions start the zodiac year from different markers.
| Popular zodiac | BaZi / Four Pillars | |
|---|---|---|
| Marker | Lunar New Year (first new moon of spring) | Li Chun (立春), the solar term 'Start of Spring' |
| 2026 start | Tuesday, Feb 17, 2026 | Feb 4, 2026 at 04:01 Beijing time (Feb 3, 3:01 p.m. EST) |
| Year ends | Feb 5, 2027 (Goat year from Feb 6) | Feb 4, 2027 at 09:45 Beijing time (Feb 3, 8:45 p.m. EST) |
| Moves each year? | Yes, between Jan 21 and Feb 20 | Barely, always Feb 3–5 |
| Used for | Everyday zodiac signs, New Year celebrations | Birth charts, annual BaZi forecasts, many feng shui calendars |
Who is affected?
Only people born between the two markers:
- Born February 4–16, 2026: a Snake by the popular calendar (the Snake year ran until Feb 16), but a Horse in BaZi. Near Li Chun the exact birth time matters, measured in China Standard Time.
- Born February 4–5, 2027: still a Horse by the popular calendar, but a Goat in BaZi if born after Li Chun.
For everyday purposes, such as reading your sign's horoscope, most people use the Lunar New Year date. For a birth chart, practitioners use Li Chun. Our zodiac calculator shows both answers when they differ.
When does the Year of the Horse end?
On February 5, 2027, Lunar New Year's Eve. On February 6, 2027 the Year of the Goat begins. Its full name is 丁未 (Ding Wei), the Fire Goat, because the fire stems come in pairs: Bing (yang Fire) in 2026, then Ding (yin Fire) in 2027. The Goat is also the Horse's traditional "secret friend" (six-harmony) sign, so many practitioners describe the handover as a smooth one. More: the Year of the Goat 2027 and 2027 predictions for every sign. Expecting a baby around then? See Horse vs Goat baby cutoffs.
Chinese New Year 2026: which animal?
Chinese New Year 2026 fell on Tuesday, February 17, 2026, and its animal is the Horse. The element is Fire, making the full name 丙午 (Bing Wu), the Fire Horse. Celebrations run for 15 days, ending with the Lantern Festival on March 3, 2026. The Year of the Horse replaced the Wood Snake year (乙巳), which ran from January 29, 2025 to February 16, 2026. Lunar New Year 2026 is the same date and the same event; "Chinese New Year" and "Lunar New Year" are two names for it.
Many people treat the exact Li Chun moment (04:01 Beijing time on February 4, 2026) as an auspicious time for fresh starts, which is part of why BaZi uses it to begin the year. That's a tradition, not something with a measurable effect.
Every Horse year since 1906, with exact dates
Born in January or February? Check the dates, not just the year.
| Year | Starts | Ends | Element | Li Chun |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1906 | Jan 25, 1906 | Feb 12, 1907 | Fire Horse (丙午) | Feb 5 |
| 1918 | Feb 11, 1918 | Jan 31, 1919 | Earth Horse (戊午) | Feb 4 |
| 1930 | Jan 30, 1930 | Feb 16, 1931 | Metal Horse (庚午) | Feb 4 |
| 1942 | Feb 15, 1942 | Feb 4, 1943 | Water Horse (壬午) | Feb 4 |
| 1954 | Feb 3, 1954 | Jan 23, 1955 | Wood Horse (甲午) | Feb 4 |
| 1966 | Jan 21, 1966 | Feb 8, 1967 | Fire Horse (丙午) | Feb 4 |
| 1978 | Feb 7, 1978 | Jan 27, 1979 | Earth Horse (戊午) | Feb 4 |
| 1990 | Jan 27, 1990 | Feb 14, 1991 | Metal Horse (庚午) | Feb 4 |
| 2002 | Feb 12, 2002 | Jan 31, 2003 | Water Horse (壬午) | Feb 4 |
| 2014 | Jan 31, 2014 | Feb 18, 2015 | Wood Horse (甲午) | Feb 4 |
| 2026 | Feb 17, 2026 | Feb 5, 2027 | Fire Horse (丙午) | Feb 4 |
| 2038 | Feb 4, 2038 | Jan 23, 2039 | Earth Horse (戊午) | Feb 4 |
Other key dates in the Horse year
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| Mar 3, 2026 | Lantern Festival (15th day of the 1st lunar month) |
| Sep 25, 2026 | Mid-Autumn Festival (15th day of the 8th lunar month) |
| Oct 8, 2026 | Cold Dew solar term: the Dog month begins |
| Oct 18, 2026 | Double Ninth Festival (9th day of the 9th lunar month) |
| Dec 22, 2026 | Winter Solstice (Dongzhi) |
| Feb 4, 2027 | Li Chun: BaZi year changes to Ding Wei |
| Feb 6, 2027 | Lunar New Year: Year of the Goat |
Month-by-month detail is in the 2026 monthly calendar. To learn what the year itself signifies, see the Fire Horse explained.
Frequently asked questions
When does the Year of the Horse start?
When does the Year of the Horse end?
What year is the next Year of the Horse?
I was born in early February 2026. Am I a Horse or a Snake?
Sources
- sxtwl (寿星天文历) astronomical calendar library: all lunar and solar-term dates on this site are computed with it — solar-term times are Beijing time (UTC+8)
- Wikipedia: Solar term
- Wikipedia: Sexagenary cycle