When is Chinese New Year? The new moon on Monday, December 30 – the last of 2024 – is a rare black moon, according to Timeanddate. Additionally, the countdown begins to one of the most culturally significant new moons of the year, which will occur exactly one lunar phase later on Wednesday, January 29th.

The new moon in January marks the beginning of the Chinese Lunar New Year (also known as Chinese New Year), the Year of the Snake. This 15-day festival is based on the traditional Chinese lunisolar calendar, which uses the phases of the moon and the Earth’s orbit around the sun.

Here’s everything you need to know about Chinese New Year 2025:

What is Chinese Lunar New Year?

Chinese New Year, also known as Spring Festival, is one of the most important festivals in China and is celebrated by millions of people around the world. This 15-day festival begins with the first new moon of the lunar calendar and ends with the Lantern Festival on the full moon. Chinese New Year. It begins every year with the new moon between January 21st and February 20th.

A new moon occurs when the moon is roughly between the Earth and the sun, so from our perspective it is lost in the glow of our star.

When is Chinese Lunar New Year 2025?

In 2025, the Chinese Lunar New Year begins on Wednesday, January 29th and lasts until the Lantern Festival on Wednesday, February 12th, with the rise of the full moon – also called the “Snow Moon” this year.

What is the Chinese New Year animal in 2025?

2025 begins the “Year of the Wood Snake,” which lasts until February 16, 2026, when the “Year of the Horse” begins.

The Chinese zodiac features a 12-year animal cycle. Each zodiac year also contains one of five elements – wood, fire, earth, metal or water – forming a 60-year cycle. So while the animal repeats itself every 12 years, the animal and the element together only repeat every 60 years. For example, the last “Year of the Wood Snake” was 1965.

What is a “Black Moon”?

A black moon is a peculiarity of the calendar. The term is typically and most commonly used for the second of two new moons in the same month. It is rare but unavoidable as there is a new moon every 29.5 days. So if there is a new moon on the first or second day of a month, there is a good chance that there will be another one at the end of the month – a monthly black moon. Western regions of North America had a black moon in November, but most of the world had two new moons in December 2024, on December 1 and 30.

I wish you clear skies and big eyes.