2026 Lunar New Year: What Does the Year of the Horse Signify?

By Mace Bautista '28

Woven into the fabric of who we are at St. Agnes Academy is a vibrant community of Academy women from diverse backgrounds. That’s why we take time to celebrate exciting traditions throughout the school year.

The start of a new calendar year brings the annual tradition from Chinese culture: the welcome of a new animal zodiac sign. For the 2026 Lunar New Year, the symbolic creature is the Fire Horse!

The horse in ancient Chinese mythology symbolizes freedom, movement, and momentum, offering a refreshing sense of liberty to those who seek it. Learn more about what the year of the horse means.

In Western astrology, zodiac signs are determined by a constellation dependent on when your birthday falls on the calendar, but in Chinese astrology, it is based on the animal assigned to your respective birth year.

There are many myths explaining these animal signs, the most prominent one being the “Great Race.” It starts with the Jade Emperor (Ruler of the Heavens) wanting a way to measure time, so he organized a race.

Twelve animals were to compete for a spot, and whichever order they arrived in was also their place on the calendar. These animals include a rat, who rose with the sun to get an early start. Because of his size, he could not swim very well so he asked the other animals for assistance; the horse and tiger refused, but the kind hearted ox obliged.

Just as the ox was approaching the end of the river, the rat jumped off the Ox’s horns and ran ahead, securing first place for himself, leaving the Ox in second. The tiger followed suit, in third, and then the rabbit, who had hopped over stones on the river to get across quicker.

Next was the dragon, who could have flown directly across for the sake of ease, but her time was delayed by sweetly choosing to help some creatures she encountered on the way. Just nearly finished with crossing the river, the horse – the animal of our year – galloped across, but just as she reached the land on the other end, the cunning and quick witted snake slithered beneath her, giving her a fright and letting the snake slip into sixth place, leaving the horse in seventh place.

The Jade emperor then looked out onto the river, seeing the sheep, rooster, and monkey all working together in harmony to get across. When they arrived, they quarreled not, but decided unanimously to give eighth place to the sheep, who had been the most comforting and harmonious, followed by the monkey, and then the rooster.

Next, the dog swam up paddling next, and despite his skills at swimming, he had frolicked and played about in the clear, sweet water for too long, and received eleventh place for himself. Lastly, the pig came in twelfth, who had gotten hungry and took a nap before finally waddling across the finish line. And thus, each year is associated with an animal in their respective order.

For 2026, the year of the horse is celebrated. Places such as Hong Kong, Singapore, and Beijing celebrate elaborately and extravagantly for Chinese New Year, incorporating the animal of importance with resplendent celebration.

The primary reason behind the delayed celebration is China's use of a lunisolar calendar for determining its traditional festivals, which begin on the second new moon after the winter solstice, usually falling between January 21 and February 20.

This year, people will celebrate the Chinese New Year on February 17, which marks the official start of the year of the horse. 

Previous years of the horse include 1954, 1966, 1978, 1990, 2002, and 2014. Each animal of each year on the Chinese Calendar represents something special and significant, which of course, does not exclude our beloved horse.

The horse represents dynamic, revitalizing energy as well as rapid change. It’s often associated with prosperity, good fortune, and momentum towards new things. If you have perpetual thoughts lingering in the back of your mind about new ideas or recent opportunities, now is the year to take them! Carpe Diem!

Traditionally, families and friends gather for a celebration and reunion dinner. People also deep-clean their rooms to air out the old energy and bad luck of the past year, and usher in the good luck and new energy from the new year.

Another tradition is to enjoy various comforting, savory soups with long noodles. The notion is that, one by one, people pick a noodle, and whoever has the longest one shall also have the longest and most prosperous life!

All in all, the Chinese Lunar New Year is a well-known and beloved holiday, with origins dating back 3,500 years. The specific symbolic figures make each year special and unique.

Our year is no exception, as the year of the Fire Horse is bound to be full of vitality, exciting and potentially life-altering change, and liberating passions!

These traditions – and others celebrated at St. Agnes – make up our diverse and exciting community culture. We invite you to find ways to participate, whether it’s celebrating the 2026 Lunar New Year or other cultural events.

Check out our calendar of events to find out everything going on at St. Agnes!