Chinese New Year Year of the Horse starts on February 17, 2026.

The Year of the Horse is known for freedom, energy, and progress. This year revolves around action and adventure, both on a personal and societal level. Horses are free, energetic, and enthusiastic animals and often bring a breath of fresh air and change. The Year of the Horse starts on February 17, 2026, and ends on February 5, 2026. Do you collect the animals of Chinese astrology? It is a popular theme worldwide, and Asian countries, in particular, issue many stamps.

Characteristic of the Horse

The character “Horse” is much more than an animal from the horoscope. The character ? originated from ancient drawings of a horse in motion. The flowing mane and sturdy legs are still recognizable even in the modern form. According to astrology, horses are elegant, loyal, intuitive, free-thinking, popular, extroverted, and eager to learn, but sometimes also a bit tactless, egocentric, unpredictable, fearless, and deaf and blind once they are focused on a goal.

The year 2026 is the Year of the Horse, which begins on February 17, 2026, and ends on February 5, 2027. The horse is the seventh animal in the twelve-year cycle of the Chinese zodiac according to the Chinese calendar. In addition to the cycle of the animals in the zodiac, there is also a cycle of five elements: Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water.

Each Chinese year thus also has a corresponding element. In 2026, it concerns the element Fire, which is why this year is known as the Year of the Fire Horse. Briefly summarized, the Horse thus symbolizes energy, freedom, speed, and perseverance. This will be *the* year to *do* what we have long wanted to do, so no more hesitating, but just doing it. This means that 2026 will be the Year of optimism and opportunities.

  Characteristics of the horse

• Freedom and independence
• Lots of energy and zest for life
• Strong communication skills
• Up for adventure and new experiences
• Optimism and confidence

At the same time, the horse can also be impatient, impulsive, and restless. In a year under this sign, it is therefore about finding a balance between action and reflection.

  The character of the horse in the Chinese language In Chinese, the horse is much more than just an animal from the horoscope. The character originated from ancient drawings of a horse in motion. The flowing mane and sturdy legs are still recognizable even in the modern form. This beautifully illustrates how Chinese characters work. They represent not only sounds but carry history, imagery, and meaning within them. In Chinese lessons, we consciously look at this origin. This makes learning not only more effective but also richer in content.

 

Famous people who were born in the Year of the Horse

Former German Chancellor Angela Merkel, the late former South African President Nelson Mandela, Louisa May Alcott, Chopin, Davy Crockett, Ella Fitzgerald, Aretha Franklin, Sandra Day O'Connor, Rembrandt, Teddy Roosevelt, Sir Isaac Newton, Barbara Streisand, Cindy Crawford, Cynthia Nixon, Denzel Washington, Harrison Ford, Jason Biggs, Jackie Chan, Jerry Seinfeld, John Travolta, Leonard Bernstein, Oprah Winfrey, Paul McCartney, Rembrandt, Ashton Kutcher, Emma Watson, Josh Hartnett, Katie Holmes, Kristen Stewart, Kobe Bryant, Genghis Khan.

  Have fun visiting the Lunar New Year Festivals below in Leiden, The Hague, Rotterdam, or Amsterdam!  

<strong> More info: </strong>

Leiden February 15, 2026, World Museum Leiden, 10:00 – 17:00: https://leiden.wereldmuseum.nl/nl/zien-en-doen/activiteiten/chinees-nieuwjaar-special The Hague February 14 and 21, 2026, City Hall, Amare, Chinatown, various times: https://www.chineesnieuwjaar-denhaag.nl/ Rotterdam February 17 to March 3, 2026, various locations: https://rcny.nl/ February 21 and 22, 2026, World Museum Rotterdam: https://rotterdam.wereldmuseum.nl/nl/zien-en-doen/activiteiten/chinees-nieuwjaar-2026 Amsterdam February 17, 2026, Chinatown, various places and times: https://winterfestivalamsterdam.com/event/chinees-nieuwjaar-in-amsterdam/?lang=nl https://amsterdam.wereldmuseum.nl/nl/zien-en-doen/activiteiten/lunar-nieuwjaar-chinees-nieuwjaar https://www.iamsterdam.com/uit/agenda/festivals/events/chinees-nieuwjaar Film More Than Babi Pangang, from February 19, 2026: In More Than Babi Pangang, Chinese-Dutch documentary filmmaker Julie Ng investigates the success and impending decline of the Chinese-Indonesian restaurant, using Golden House, her father's restaurant in Rozenburg, as a case study. What begins as a quest for the origins of the dish babi pangang evolves into a personal and emotional exploration of her cultural and culinary identity as a Chinese-Dutch person. Previous Chinese New Year blogs: https://www.postzegelblog.nl/tag/chinees-nieuwjaar/