What is the Chinese New Year animal for 2021?

The answer is:year of the Ox

2021 is a year of the Ox, starting from February 12th, 2021 (Chinese lunar New Year Day) and lasting until January 30th, 2022.

It will be a Metal Ox year. The recent zodiac years of Ox sign are: 1961, 1973, 1985, 1997, 2009, 2021, 2033…An Ox year occurs every 12 years.

How long is the Chinese New Year 2021?

The answer is: 16 days

Usually Chinese New Year festival period lasts for 16 days, starting from Chinese New Year’s eve to the Lantern Festival. In 2021, it is from February 11 to February 26th.

What is consider good/bad luck for Chinese New Year?

DO: Clean the house

But before New Year’s Day. Any cleaning done on New Year’s Day washes away good luck. Until then clean to your heart’s content. Doing so will rid your house of any “huiqi“, or inauspicious breaths, collected over the year.

DO: Wear red

Red is a good luck color in general in Chinese culture, and you’ll see it a lot of it during the New Year. In addition to luck, it symbolises happiness, vitality, and long life.

DON’T: Bathe

And especially don’t wash your hair. “Hair” in Chinese, fa, is the same word in the phrase fa cai, meaning “to become wealthy.” Shampoo on New Year’s Day and you’ll be washing that luck right out of your hair.

DON’T: Give unlucky gifts

Invited to a New Year dinner? Great! But be sure not to bring:

  • Sharp objects. Forget about that set of Ginsu knives. Sharp items imply the cutting of ties.
  • Handkerchiefs. Another symbol of “goodbye forever” since they’ re typically given out at funerals.
  • Anything to do with the number four. Have we mentioned that four sounds like “death”?
  • Shoes. The word for shoes (xie) is a homonym for “evil.” Besides, what a weird gift.
  • Clocks. The phrase “give a clock” sounds a lot like “attend a funeral rite.” Clocks are also a reminder that we’re all running out of time, and no one needs that.

Did you also know?

Chinese New Year and the other Lunar New Year holidays are one of the most widely observed public holidays in the world with over one-sixth of the world’s population celebrating.

Instead of wrapped gifts that other nationalities give at their main holiday season, for Chinese New Year, children receive red envelopes stuffed full of money. The amount of money is usually an even number – but the amount is not divisible by four, as the number 4 means death.

Chinese New Year creates the world’s largest annual migration. Known as the Spring Festival Travel Rush, the total trips taken each year exceed three billion.

Sounds very interesting, right? Want to celebrate Chinese New Year in China? We know that this year Chinese New Year is difficult to travel, but don’t hesitate to book our 123HotelGift or 123FlyGift card! Because the giftcards are valid for 2 years, next year your loved one could experience this fascinating traditional holiday in China themselves!


This blog is written with pleasure by the 123HotelGift/123FlyGift team. At 123hotelgift.com/123flygift.com, it’s all about convenience, flexibility and speed. Give our 123giftcards to someone special for any occasion, and with maximum freedom for your recipient! Choose from 250,000 hotels or 200 airlines worldwide.