Year of the Rabbit - Chinese New Year 2023
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The 2023 Chinese New Year - or Lunar New Year - begins on Sunday, January 22.
Chinese New Year is one of the most important holidays in China and has a strong influence on celebrations like the Korean New Year or the Vietnamese New Year (Tết). It is also celebrated worldwide, especially in countries and regions with a significant overseas Chinese or Sinophone population, such as Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Cambodia, the United States, and Peru, amongst others.
Celebrations of the Chinese New Year traditionally last up to 16 days, starting from Chinese New Year’s Eve to the Lantern Festival. In 2023, it will be celebrated from January 21 to February 5.
In China, the first 7 days are considered a public holiday (January 21-27, 2023).
Main dates of the 2023 Chinese Lunar New Year:
New Year’s Eve - January 21
New Year’s Day - January 22
Lantern Festival - February 5
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The new year marks the transition between traditional Chinese zodiac signs. This year observes the transition from the Year of the Tiger (2022) to the Year of the Rabbit (2023).
Rabbit zodiac sign
According to the Chinese zodiac, 2023 is the Year of the Rabbit, beginning on January 22, 2023, and lasting up to February 9, 2024.
The rabbit is the fourth in a row in the 12-year cycle of the Chinese zodiac animals. People born in the year of the rabbit were - or will be - born in 1951, 1963, 1975, 1987, 1999, 2011, or 2023.
2023 - Year of the Water Rabbit
Chinese astrology assigns each year one of the five elements - Metal, Water, Wood, Earth, and Fire. Each of the elements has associated meanings, here is a simplified list:
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Metal: persistence, ambition
Water: agility, eloquence
Wood: creativity, imagination
Earth: patience, stability
Fire: passion, adventure
These elements are combined with the 12-year cycle of animal signs and the result is a 60-year cycle.
2023 is the year of the Water Rabbit. Since rabbit generally represents patience, peace, and prosperity, and water represents money and auspiciousness this is considered to be a lucky year for those born under the sign of the rabbit.
Calculating your Chinese element and zodiac sign
Calculating your Chinese element is not difficult at all. Just look up the last number of your birth year in the list below:
birth years ending in 0 or 1 - metal
birth years ending in 2 or 3 - water
birth years ending in 4 or 5 - wood
birth years ending in 6 or 7 - fire
birth years ending in 8 or 9 - earth
The Chinese lunisolar calendar and the Gregorian calendar do not line up, and the Chinese New Year falls on different days from year to year. If you were born in January or February, you will have to check the year you were born in the Chinese calendar. Check what was the exact date of the Chinese New Year’s Day that year to determine your zodiac sign.
Happy New Year!
