Lunar New Year 2027: The Year of the Goat

Lunar New Year 2027 key dates

• Lunar New Year's Eve: Friday, February 5, 2027 (reunion dinner)
• Lunar New Year's Day: Saturday, February 6, 2027
• Lantern Festival: Saturday, February 20, 2027, the 15th day of the first lunar month, which ends the celebrations

The date moves every year because it follows the lunisolar calendar. Lunar New Year starts on the new moon that falls between January 21 and February 20, so it always lands somewhere in that window on the Gregorian calendar.

What the Year of the Goat means

The Chinese zodiac runs on a 12-year cycle of animals: Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog and Pig. 2027 follows the Year of the Horse (2026) and comes before the Year of the Monkey (2028). The eighth sign is translated as goat, sheep or ram, because the Chinese character yáng (羊) covers all three.

In traditional belief, people born in Goat years are gentle, creative, kind and calm, and they value harmony and close relationships. Recent Goat years include 1979, 1991, 2003 and 2015, though because the lunar year starts in late January or February, people born early in those years may belong to the previous sign.

Each year also pairs the animal with one of five elements (wood, fire, earth, metal and water). 2027 is a Fire Goat year, which last came around in 1967. Fire is associated with warmth, energy and passion.

How families celebrate

Cleaning before the new year. In the days leading up to Lunar New Year, families clean their homes from top to bottom to sweep away bad luck. Sweeping on New Year's Day itself is traditionally avoided, so you don't sweep away the good luck that has just arrived.

Red decorations. Doors are decorated with red couplets (chūnlián), short poems wishing for luck and prosperity, and the character fú (福), meaning good fortune, is often hung upside down because "upside down" sounds like "arrived" in Mandarin. Red lanterns, paper cuttings and goat-themed decorations fill homes and streets.

The reunion dinner. On Lunar New Year's Eve, families gather for the most important meal of the year. In China this sparks the world's biggest annual human migration, known as chūnyùn, as people travel home.

Red envelopes. Elders and married couples give hóngbāo, red envelopes containing money, to children and unmarried younger relatives. Today many are sent digitally through messaging apps.

Fireworks and lion dances. Firecrackers and fireworks are set off to scare away the mythical beast Nian, though many cities now restrict them. Lion and dragon dances fill the streets in Chinatowns around the world.

Lucky foods for Lunar New Year

• Dumplings (jiǎozi): Popular in northern China, shaped like old silver ingots, so they stand for wealth.
• Whole fish (yú): "Fish" sounds like "surplus," so families serve fish and often leave some uneaten to carry abundance into the year.
• Nian gao: Sticky rice cake whose name sounds like "higher every year."
• Spring rolls: Golden and shaped like gold bars, for prosperity.
• Long noodles: For long life. Don't cut them.
• Tangerines and oranges: Their names and golden color link them to luck and wealth.
• Tangyuan: Sweet glutinous rice balls, eaten especially at the Lantern Festival, for family togetherness.

Lunar New Year greetings with pinyin

Here are the most common greetings in Mandarin, with pinyin and a simple English meaning:

• 新年快乐 (Xīnnián kuàilè): Happy New Year.
• 春节快乐 (Chūnjié kuàilè): Happy Spring Festival.
• 恭喜发财 (Gōngxǐ fācái): Wishing you prosperity. In Cantonese, it's Gung hei fat choi.
• 过年好 (Guònián hǎo): A casual "Happy New Year," popular in northern China.
• 羊年大吉 (Yángnián dàjí): Great luck in the Year of the Goat.
• 万事如意 (Wànshì rúyì): May everything go as you wish.
• 身体健康 (Shēntǐ jiànkāng): Wishing you good health.
• 心想事成 (Xīnxiǎng shìchéng): May all your wishes come true.

Other communities have their own greetings. In Korea, Seollal is greeted with Saehae bok mani badeuseyo (새해 복 많이 받으세요), "receive many blessings in the new year." In Vietnam, Tết is greeted with Chúc mừng năm mới, "Happy New Year."

Traditional taboos

Many families follow a few old superstitions during the first days of the new year. Common ones include not sweeping or taking out the trash on New Year's Day, not washing your hair (which could wash away luck), avoiding sharp objects like scissors and knives, not breaking dishes, and avoiding words linked to death or bad luck. If something does break, people say suìsuì píng'ān (岁岁平安), "peace year after year," since suì sounds like the word for breaking.

Celebrating Lunar New Year if it's not your tradition

Plenty of people join Lunar New Year celebrations through friends, coworkers or local festivals. Watch a lion dance in your nearest Chinatown, try making dumplings at home, or bring oranges when visiting friends who celebrate. Sending a simple "Xīnnián kuàilè" or "Happy Lunar New Year" is always welcome. Using "Lunar New Year" is a good inclusive choice, since Korean, Vietnamese and other communities celebrate too.