Why does Chinese New Year fall on a different date each year?

Chinese New Year follows the lunisolar calendar, where each month starts on a new moon. That makes the Gregorian date shift from year to year, typically landing somewhere between January 21 and February 20.

Are the dates in this countdown accurate?

Yes. The dates come from confirmed lunisolar calendar data through 2035 and are the same dates used for Lunar New Year public holidays across East and Southeast Asia.

Is Chinese New Year the same as Lunar New Year?

Chinese New Year and Lunar New Year fall on the same calendar date since both mark the start of the lunisolar year. Different cultures use different names and traditions for the holiday, including Tet in Vietnam and Seollal in Korea.

What time zone is the countdown based on?

The countdown compares the date in the table against your own device's local date and time, so the day switches over for you at your local midnight rather than a fixed time zone.

Which zodiac animal is next?

Each Chinese New Year begins a new zodiac year in a 12-year cycle. The table below lists the zodiac animal for every upcoming date through 2035.

Days Until Chinese New Year

See the exact days, hours, minutes, and seconds remaining until the next Chinese New Year, plus a table of confirmed dates through 2035.

-- Days

-- Hours

-- Minutes

-- Seconds

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Chinese New Year Dates 2024 — 2035

Confirmed dates from the lunisolar calendar

Year	Date	Day of Week	Zodiac Animal

Summary

This tool counts down to the next Chinese New Year (Lunar New Year) in real time, updating every second with days, hours, minutes, and seconds remaining. The date shifts every year because it follows the lunisolar calendar rather than a fixed day on the Gregorian calendar, so the countdown reads from a pre-computed table of confirmed dates through 2035 and automatically rolls forward once the current year's date has passed.

How it works

The tool holds a table of confirmed Chinese New Year dates through 2035.
It reads the current date and time from your browser.
It finds the nearest date in the table that is today or later.
A live countdown updates every second: days, hours, minutes, and seconds.
Once the current date passes, the countdown automatically switches to next year's date.

Use cases

Check exactly how many days remain before Chinese New Year.
Plan travel or family gatherings around the holiday.
Schedule store closures, shipping cutoffs, or marketing campaigns.
Add the date straight to a calendar app with one click.
Look up which zodiac animal the upcoming year belongs to.
Answer "when is Chinese New Year next year" without searching further.

Frequently Asked Questions

Last updated: 2026-09-09 · Reviewed by Nham Vu