All you need to know about the Year of the Horse
February 8, 2026
East vs. West: How the signs work
Like Western astrology, the Chinese zodiac features 12 distinct signs. While Western horoscopes assign your sign based on your month and date of birth, the Chinese zodiac assigns an animal totem based on your year of birth.
This system operates on a 12-year repeating loop, where each year is represented by a specific animal like the Dragon or Snake. Crucially, these years follow the lunar calendar. The animal sign does not change on January 1, but on the first day of Lunar New Year, which typically falls in late January or early February. Consequently, a person born in early January usually belongs to the animal sign associated with the previous year on the Gregorian calendar.
Celebrities born in the Year of the Horse
People born in the Year of the Horse are said to have a cheerful, energetic and adventurous spirit. Driven by a quick-witted nature and relentless courage, they tackle challenges with a singular focus on success. Here are 10 remarkable "Horses" who embody these dynamic traits.
What Chinese zodiac animal are you?
Click on your birth date
The fire horse sprints
Every zodiac sign has its own pace in the Year of the Fire Horse. Some months are lucky others neutral and some weaker depending on the animal. Find your animal in the chart and see how your fortunes will vary throughout the year.
Horse Year Months by Animal Sign
Source: What’s your luck like in 2026
Auspicious Lunar New Year dishes
Lunar New Year is the most significant celebration for Chinese communities worldwide, centring on family reunions and the symbolic power of food. Whether in Beijing, Hong Kong, or Kuala Lumpur, each feast features dishes with names that are homophones for lucky words or shapes that resemble wealth. Here are 10 auspicious recipes, detailing ingredients and cooking methods, carefully selected to bring wealth and happiness in the coming year.
A tale of 12 winners and one grudge
You might be wondering: why is the Dog one of the Chinese zodiac animals, but the Cat isn’t? Why is the internet’s favourite animal missing?
Long ago, the Jade Emperor invited all the creatures on earth to take part in a swimming race across a river to decide the 12 rulers of time. While the Dog played in the water and the Pig stopped for snacks, they both still made it across before the end. The poor Cat, however, was betrayed by a “friend”, leaving it wet, furious and off the calendar forever.
The zodiac in archaeology
While the Jade Emperor and his swimming contest make a great story, the real origin of the Chinese zodiac has roots in prehistoric animal worship and early totemism dating back to the Warring States Period (475BC-221BC).
Archaeologists theorise that the zodiac animals were selected to represent a balance of agricultural prosperity (Ox, Sheep, Horse, Pig, Dog, Rooster), coexistence with nature (Rabbit, Monkey, Rat, Tiger, Snake) and the spiritual auspiciousness of the mythical Dragon.
The Cat was excluded simply because it did not become common in China until the Han dynasty (206BC-AD220) via the Silk Road. By that time, the zodiac system had been standardised for centuries.
Archaeological excavations have unearthed countless pottery sets and murals styled after the zodiac. Depictions often feature human bodies with animal heads, and were placed in tombs to protect souls and guard the passage of time.
Reviving the old magic
Our ancestors did not just admire the 12 zodiac animals; they consulted them. Long before algorithms told us what to buy or where to go, people relied on these guardians to navigate the unknown, deciding when to do everything from planting seeds to getting married.
Let us revive that old magic. Spin the kaleidoscope, watch the shifting patterns align into destiny and see what reveals itself. The “Book of Answers” is open and your animal is ready to speak.