The Lunar Calendar

Lunar new year celebrations are based on traditional agricultural calendars which are lunisolar, primarily lunar but partially solar, guided by the movement of the moon, as well as the sun, and commonly called lunar calendars.

The Lunar New Year 4723 will be celebrated on 17 February 2026, the second new moon after the December solstice. It celebrates Xin Nian, the Chinese New Year, Solnal, the Korean New Year, Tsagaan Sar, the Mongolian New Year and Tết, the Vietnamese New Year. Traditionally Shōgatsu, the Japanese New Year was also celebrated on this date but since 1873, the official Japanese New Year has been celebrated according to the Gregorian calendar, on January 1 of each year. Losar, the Tibetan New Year will be celebrated between 18 – 20 February in Bhutan, India, Nepal, Sikkim and Tibet. In most of these nations the Gregorian calendar is used for civil purposes, but the lunar calendar is used to determine festivals and auspicious dates such as weddings and moving house.

The Chinese lunar calendar is associated with the Chinese zodiac, Shengxiao (‘born resembling’), which has 12 animal signs: rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, goat, monkey, rooster, dog, and pig. Each animal represents a year in a 12 year cycle, beginning on Lunar New Year’s Day. There are many legends concerning the choice and order of the animals and their characteristics which are said to be imparted to people born in their year.

One such legend says that the Lord Buddha summoned all the animals to come to him before he departed from earth. Only twelve came to bid him farewell and as a reward he named a year after each one in the order they arrived. The year 2026, Chinese year 4723, is a Year of the Horse.

The City of Sydney Lunar Festival celebrates the Lunar New Year each year with the 2026 festival celebrating the Year of the Horse. The Sydney festival is one of the largest Lunar New Year celebrations outside of Asia and includes parades, street parties, cultural performances, delicious food, lion dances, dragon boats and art and light installations.

Year of the Horse and the Kookaburra

2026 is the Year of the Horse.

The Australian Chinese Zodiac was developed to promote understanding between Chinese and Australian cultures by the Chinese Precinct Chamber of Commerce in Australia. Animals from the traditional zodiac have been matched to native animals according to their perceived similar characteristics. This year the Horse is matched to the Kookaburra.

Horse 马

The horse is noted for being popular, cheerful, perceptive and resourceful.

备受欢迎，深得人心，开朗乐观，善于解决问题，并具有非凡洞察力。

Kookaburra 笑翠鸟

The Kookaburra is noted for its popularity and its cheerful, vibrant and extremely resourceful character.

同样深受人们欢迎，个性开朗热情，并且足智多谋。

How schools can be involved

• The SBS Learn resource – Celebrate Lunar New Year – can be used to learn more about the origins of the Lunar New Year and how it is celebrated by different communities. Teachers can also engage students in critically and creatively reflecting on the importance of different cultural festivals.
• Explore the history of the Chinese on the goldfields via Sydney Living Museums.
• Use the Harvest of Endurance scroll at Making Multicultural Australia to create a short story about one of the characters in Chinese-Australian history.
• Research the establishment of the Vietnamese communities in Australia via the National Museum of Australia.
• Research well-known people born in a Year of the Horse.
• Map the countries where Lunar New Year is traditionally celebrated.