Chinese New Year 2021 - Zodiac Year of the Cow

When is the Chinese New Year 2021?

The 2021 Chinese New Year Day is on Friday, February 12, 2021 in China's time zone. This day is the new moon day of the first Chinese lunar month in the Chinese Lunar Calendar system. The exact new moon time is at 3:05 on 2021-02-12 in China time zone.

Chinese New Year 2021 animal sign is the White Cow. Chinese calendar combines solar, lunar and 60 Stem-Branch counting systems. The 60 Stem-Branch calendar uses the names of Yin Yang Five Elements (Metal, Water, Wood, Fire and Earth) and 12 animals to rank the sequences. Five elements are connected to five colors - White, Black, Green, Red, and Brown. So Chinese use the color animal name to count the year. The name of 2021 is the Female Metal Cow. White is connected to Metal. Therefore, 2021 is also called White Metal Cow Year.

The first day of the White Cow year is not the Chinese New Year Day in Chinese Astrology. The first day of the Tiger month is the first day of the Chinese Astrology year. This day is called Start of Spring, which is the date when the sun enters the 315th degree on the tropical zodiac. This day is around February 4, each year. 2021 Chinese White Cow starts on February 3, 2021 in China's time zone. That means the Chinese Lunar New Year is not the first day of White Cow Year. If a baby is born at or before the time of Start of Spring on February 3, 2021, then the baby's zodiac sign is the Rat. After that time, the zodiac sign is the Cow or Ox. The detailed discussion is at the link below.

The First Day of Ox Year - February 3 or February 4, 2021?

Coming Chinese New Year Days

Year	Zodiac Animal Sign	New Year	First Zodiac
Chinese New Year Dates in China Time Zone
2021	White Metal Cow	Friday, Feb. 12, 2021	February 3, 2021
2022	Black Water Tiger	Tuesday, Feb. 1, 2022	February 4, 2022
2023	Black Water Rabbit	Sunday, Jan. 22, 2023	February 4, 2023

The New moon time determines the new moon date. The new moon time is at 3:05 on Friday, February 12, 2021 in China time zone. Therefore, Chinese New Year Day is Friday, February 12, 2021.The new moon time is at 12:56 on Thursday, February 11, 2021 in the US Pacific time zone. Therefore, the 2021 Chinese New Year Day is on Thursday, February 11, 2021 in the Pacific Time zone.

Year	Zodiac Animal Sign	New Year	First Zodiac
Chinese New Year Dates in US Pacific Time Zone
2021	White Metal Cow	Thursday, Feb. 11, 2021	Feb. 3, 2021
2022	Black Water Tiger	Monday, Jan. 31, 2022	Feb. 3, 2022
2023	Black Water Rabbit	Saturday, Jan. 21, 2023	Feb. 3, 2023

2021 National Chinese Holidays

2021, 2022, and 2023 Chinese New Year's days are listed on the page of When is the Chinese New Year. Chinese New Year is the first day of the lunar month. That means Chinese New Year's day is on the new moon day. We have 24 time zones in the world. The new moon days might fall on different days at different time zones. Therefore, the Chinese New Year dates at US time zones have 50% chances to be different from China time zone. We provide the listing of Chinese New Year Dates at different time zone. We also have a comparison of 2021 lunar months between China and US.

How Old is China?

The Chinese believe that the first king of China was the Yellow King (he was not the first emperor of China). The Yellow King became king in 2697 B.C., therefore China will enter the 4718th year on Friday, February 12, 2021. Also, the Chinese Year uses the cycle of 60 Stem-Branch counting systems and the Female Metal Cow is the 38th Stem-Branch in the cycle. Since 4718 = (60 * 78) + 38, therefore 2021 of Metal Cow Year is the 4718th Chinese Year.

Some websites say the year 2021 is the 4719th Chinese year. If you cannot find the explanation, here is a possible answer for you. The Yellow King's inauguration was held in the spring of 2697 B.C. But the calendar of Yellow King used the winter solstice day as the first day of the year. The winter solstice was on around December 23rd, 2698 B.C. Today's January 1st means nothing to Yellow King. If we count that extra eight days in 2698 B.C. for a year, then 2021 is the 4719th Chinese year.

2021 is the 4718th Chinese Year. However, Chinese civilization is up to 8000 years. The Dadiwan relics show the civilization of houses, palaces, cooking tools, color pottery, weapons, artifacts and agriculture. Archaeologists doubt the I-Ching was invested there.

What's meaning of White Metal Cow?

Xin-Chou is the Chinese zodiac name of Stem-Branch calendar for 2021. Each zodiac is labeled with a name of Yin-Yang Five Elements. Xin is Yin Metal. Chou is Cow. Therefore, the name of 2021 is called Yin Metal Cow. Yin is female and Yang is male. The color of Metal is White. 2021 is the Female White Metal Cow year.

The first Stem-Branch name is found in the document around 1739 B.C. The original stems and branches only use for counting the days. Using Stem-Branch to count for Month, Hour and Year sequences began around 206 B.C. during Chin dynasty and Han dynasty. Using the season changing information, Chinese Yin Yang Five Element scholars converted all zodiac signs into five elements. The theory of Five Elements becomes the foundation of Chinese fortunetelling.

Yin Metal is gold, pearl, jade, diamond, or small precious stones. Yin Metal is female, soft, graceful, and beautiful jewelry. The characteristics of Yin Metal are mild, enduring, persevering, constant, and frank. Yin Metal is also connected to fog, smog, and unhealthy air. Fog blurs our sight. Therefore, the other traits of Yin Metal are complaining, dissatisfaction, irresolute, hesitant, and uncertain. Yin Metal is related to fruit when Wood (tree) is next to it. In Chinese I-Ching, Yin Metal is also related to the lake. That implies a joyful time. Yin Metal is the 8th element of 10 Heavenly Stems. The color of Yin Metal is white, gold or yellow. The location of Yin Metal is in the west.

Cow is the second animal sign of 12 Earthly Branches. The Cow is in the Earth group according to the Chinese Five Element theory. The Cow is connected to hills or farmland as they preserve the cold of winter. The Cow doesn't have a good working environment. The personalities of the Cow are quiet, inactive, slow, and calm. The characteristics of Cow are quiet, inactive, hardworking, diligent, responsible, and very stubborn.

Cow contains mainly Yin Earth. It also contains little Yin Water and Yin Metal. The Cow is also connected to the storeroom for Metal. That implies Cow has a safe deposit box to keep its treasure. The month of Cow is January. The temperature is still cold. Therefore, Cow is the chilly cold ground. Water in the Cow is cold and can become ice. Water represents a Cow's money. The money is frozen. The Cow is unable to spend. Therefore, Cow has good savings.

Yin Metal Cow ranks 32nd out of 60 Stem-Branches. Yin Metal is the Heavenly Stem and Cow is the Earthly Branch in the Chinese Zodiac calendar. The color of Yin Metal is white or golden. Therefore, Yin Metal Cow is the White Cow or Golden Cow.

Yin Metal is connected to gold, silver, jewelry, pearl, jade, or precious stones. The sign of Yin Metal Cow is a Cow pulling a cart of fruits or treasures. That's a sign of traveling, prosperity, beauty, and a happy mood. However, to show the silver on the street might cause money disputes and money loss. Therefore, we have to stay alert for greedy people around us.

Cow contains mainly Earth and also contains Yin Water. Yin Water inside the Cow is chilly and cold because Cow month is January. So Yin Metal Cow doesn't have too much passion for social activities after work. It prefers staying along, learning knowledge, and doesn't like to be bothered. Yin Metal Cow needs Yang Fire, the sun, to warm up its heart and charge its energy. The Cow is diligent and hardworking. Cow deserves to have a travel vacation to enjoy life.

The Cow is in the Earth group and related to the farmland. A lake inside the farmland helps vegetables, fruits, and crops to grow. It brings fortune and happiness to people. Yin Metal represents the lake in I-Ching, and the lake implies the joyful time. Lake attracts people gathering together for relaxation. Yin Metal Cow has something attracting elite people. It's time to build a good social network and people relationship.

The Cow also contains Yin Metal. Earth is the mother element of Metal. Yin Metal Cow is a strong Metal combination. It will bring good luck for people whose birth chart is lacking Metal.

2021 Chinese Horoscope Forecasts

Chinese Fortune Calendar provides two different 2021 predictions. The first method is the simple Chinese Zodiac Prediction to analyze the relationship between White Cow and your zodiac sign. The second method is the traditional Chinese Five Element Astrology. It will read your complete Chinese Astrology birth chart, Find Your Lucky Element, then forecast your luck in the White Cow year. This way is required your correct birthday and birth time.

Chinese New Year Culture Before and After

Chinese New Year festival is from Chinese New Year Day to Chinese Lantern Festival for 15 days long. Chinese families have to prepare for the New Year festival a month ago. To understand those events, we need to know the Chinese history and culture background.

2022 Chinese Lunar Calendar

Chinese New Year Day is the first lunar day of the first Chinese lunar month. That means the new moon day is the first lunar day. The new moon day could fall to a different day in a different time zone. Therefore, lunar months have different patterns between China and the USA time zones. This will impact the Chinese Baby Gender Selection calendar.

Chinese lunar calendar is quite complicated. Actually, it has to work with the solar calendar. A lunar month has 29 or 30 days long. In order to match up the solar cycle, the Chinese lunar calendar has to add additional 7 lunar months every 19 years. The following topics are detailed explanations of the Chinese Lunar calendar.

2022 Complete Chinese Calendars

Chinese New Year Festival and Parade

Chinese New Year Festival in China, Taiwan, Hong Kong or Singapore spans 15-days long until the New Year Lantern Festival. The detail is at The Celebration of 15-Day Chinese New Year Festivals page.

The schedule for the Chinese New Year Festival and Parade in US major China towns usually is on the weekend before or after Chinese New Year. If you are interested in these events, you should check the schedule at the Lunar New Year Parade Location and Schedule page.

2021 Feng Shui for Chinese New Year

6-White Star flies into the center palace of the 9-Star diagram in 2021. Therefore, the kua number of 2021 is 6-White.

South

East

5	1	3
4	6	8
9	2	7

West

North

Lucky directions are
1 (White) is connected to Business, Romance, Social Relationships.
4 (Green) is connected to Intelligence, Academic Achievement.
6 (White) is connected to Windfall, Money, Power, Position.
8 (White) is connected to Money, Wealth.
9 (Purple) is connected to Happiness, Marriage.

Unlucky directions are
2 (Black) is connected to Illness and Sickness.
3 (Green) is connected to Quarrel, Dispute, Lawsuit.
5 (Yellow) is connected to Sick, Trouble, Bad Luck.
7 (Red) is connected to Robbery, Villain.
The most unlucky direction is Yellow 5 at western side. Do not have any remodeling in the western area of your house.

2022 Rich, Romantic, Wisdom Houses using Feng Shui Flying Stars

More detailed information is available in the Farmer Calendar CD.

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By Master Allen Tsai on April 15, 2022