Saturday 6 February 2027
Lunar New Year 2027: date, meaning and traditions
Lunar New Year 2027 falls on Saturday 6 February 2027. It begins the Year of the Fire Goat, which runs until 25 January 2028.
Celebrations traditionally last 15 days, ending with the Lantern Festival on Saturday 20 February 2027. New Year's Eve, Friday 5 February, is the night of the family reunion dinner.
- New Year's Eve
- 5 February 2027
- Lunar New Year
- 6 February 2027
- Lantern Festival
- 20 February 2027
Why the date changes every year
Lunar New Year follows the lunisolar calendar. It usually falls on the second new moon after the winter solstice, which always lands between 21 January and 20 February in the Western calendar.
Who celebrates it
Lunar New Year is celebrated across East and Southeast Asia and by communities around the world. It's called Chinese New Year or Spring Festival in China, Tết in Vietnam and Seollal in Korea. The dates usually match, though each tradition has its own customs.
The Year of the Fire Goat
Each year pairs one of the 12 zodiac animals with one of five elements. 2027 is a Fire Goat year, traditionally seen as gentler than the Fire Horse year before it: a time for patience, creativity, family and mending relationships. The Goat is also called the Sheep or the Ram.
See what 2027 holds for your sign
Traditions
Before New Year
- Clean the house to sweep out last year's bad luck and make room for good fortune.
- Decorate in red and gold: lanterns, paper cuttings and couplets on the door. Red is believed to scare off misfortune.
- Settle debts and finish unfinished business so you start the year clean.
New Year's Eve and Day
- Reunion dinner: the most important meal of the year, shared with family. Dishes often include fish (for abundance), dumplings (for wealth) and noodles (for long life).
- Red envelopes: money given in red envelopes to children and unmarried relatives, for luck.
- New clothes, ideally with something red, to start the year fresh.
- Visiting family and exchanging good wishes.
Things traditionally avoided on New Year's Day
- Sweeping or taking out the rubbish, which might sweep away good luck.
- Washing or cutting hair.
- Arguing, crying or saying unlucky words.
- Breaking things. If something breaks, people say a quick lucky phrase to cancel it out.
Common greetings
- Chinese (Mandarin): Xīnnián kuàilè (Happy New Year) · Gōngxǐ fācái (wishing you prosperity)
- Cantonese: Kung hei fat choi
- Vietnamese: Chúc mừng năm mới
- Korean: Saehae bok mani badeuseyo
If 2027 is your sign's year
People born in Goat years (1943, 1955, 1967, 1979, 1991, 2003, 2015) enter their own sign year in 2027. Tradition says your own year calls for extra care, and many people wear red for luck all year.
Know your lucky days in 2027.
The Lucky Year app reads your full Purple Star chart and gives you lucky days for the whole year.