Lunar New Year 2026: What is the Meaning of the Fire Horse?

Liputan6.com, Jakarta - Lunar New Year 2026 brings renewed enthusiasm to Chinese communities around the world.

This year, Chinese New Year falls on Tuesday, February 17, 2026, and will mark the beginning of the Year of the Fire Horse, a rare and meaningful combination of Chinese zodiac and elements.

This important moment is not only celebrated with various traditions, but also marks the turn of the year in the Chinese lunar calendar, filled with new hopes and good fortune.

Chinese New Year celebrations traditionally last for 16 days, starting from Chinese New Year's Eve and ending with the Lantern Festival.

Lunar New Year 2026 will be celebrated on Tuesday, February 17, 2026, marking the Chinese New Year of the year 2577, Kongzili.

Lunar New Year's Eve will fall on February 16, 2026, while the Lantern Festival, which concludes the celebrations, will take place on March 3, 2026.

In China, people will have an eight-day holiday, from February 15 to 23, 2026.

An important tradition accompanying Lunar New Year celebrations includes staying up late on Chinese New Year's Eve, which is believed to influence good fortune in the coming year.

2026 is the Year of the Horse, and specifically, it is the Year of the Fire Horse.

The Fire Horse combination is a rare occurrence in the Chinese zodiac, occurring only once every 60 years.

This is because the 12-year zodiac cycle is combined with the five elements (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water), so each animal-element combination occurs only once every six decades.

The Horse represents freedom, speed, fighting spirit, high ambition, vitality, perseverance, and success, while the Fire element represents passion, courage, clarity of vision, and the drive to progress.

Individuals born in the year of the Fire Horse are known for being intelligent, charismatic, lively, and enthusiastic, possessing strong and striking personalities.

Despite their many positive traits, Fire Horses can also have a negative side.

They can be stubborn, impatient, impulsive, and easily frustrated when things go slowly or when they feel restricted. They can also be quick-tempered and exhibit excessive FOMO (fear of missing out).

The Year of the Fire Horse 2026 is seen as a year of significant optimism and opportunity.

Strong public and investor confidence is expected to drive economic growth, particularly driven by technological advances such as artificial intelligence (AI).

The energy of the Fire Horse encourages fearless courage, dedication, and punishes hesitation or indifference.

In terms of career, the Fire Horse is closely associated with leadership and innovation.

Fields requiring high dynamics such as technology, energy, creative businesses, and management are often considered aligned with the energy of the Fire Horse.

The Year of the Fire Horse is also known as the "Red Horse" (hongma 紅馬), where the color red is believed to symbolize good luck, happiness, and prosperity.