Khmer Culture & Calendar
Khmer New Year: When the Animal Year Really Changes
and why it is a different day from Chinese New Year
Cambodia and China use the same twelve animals, but they start the new animal year at different times. Here is when each one changes, and what it means for your birthday.
Ask a Cambodian grandmother which animal year you were born in, then check a Chinese zodiac website, and sometimes you get two different answers. Neither of them is wrong. Cambodia and China share the same twelve animals, from the Rat to the Pig, but each calendar starts the new animal year on its own New Year — and those two New Years are about two months apart.
This guide explains exactly when the animal year turns in the Khmer calendar, how that differs from Chinese New Year, and how to tell which animal you are in each system.
Two New Years, two different dates
Late January to mid-February
Chinese New Year
Chinese New Year follows the moon. It falls on the second new moon after the winter solstice, so the date moves every year, always between about 21 January and 20 February. The Chinese zodiac animal changes on that day.
13 or 14 April
Khmer New Year
Khmer New Year follows the sun. It begins at Moha Songkran, when the sun moves into the sign of Aries (Mesa) in the traditional Khmer reckoning. That is why it almost always starts on 13 or 14 April. The Khmer animal year changes at this moment, not in January or February.
The three days of Khmer New Year
- Day 1
Moha Songkran
The new year begins at an exact hour worked out by traditional astrologers. Families welcome the new Tevoda, the guardian angel who looks after the coming year, with offerings at home.
- Day 2
Virak Vanabat
A day for giving: gifts for parents and grandparents, food for monks, and help for people in need. In some years there are two Vanabat days, so the holiday lasts four days.
- Day 3
Virak Loeng Sak
The last day, when the year's Sak — its place in a ten-year cycle — moves up by one. Families bathe Buddha statues and pour scented water over the hands of their elders to ask for blessings.
So when exactly does the animal year change?
In the Khmer calendar, the new animal year starts at the moment of Moha Songkran on the first day of Khmer New Year. Because that moment can fall at any hour of the day, printed Khmer calendars usually show the new animal from the second day.
Two things change during the New Year days, and they are easy to mix up. The animal (for example Chnam Momee, the Year of the Horse) changes at Moha Songkran. The Sak (for example Atthasak) changes on the last day, Loeng Sak. A full Khmer year name combines both: Chnam Momee Atthasak.
If you were born on Moha Songkran itself, your Khmer animal depends on the time of birth: before the New Year hour you belong to the old animal, after it to the new one.
Chinese New Year and Khmer New Year, 2024–2030
| Year | Chinese New Year | Khmer New Year | Different animals between |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 10 FebruaryDragon | 13–16 AprilDragon · 4 days | 10 February – 12 AprilDragon / Rabbit |
| 2025 | 29 JanuarySnake | 14–16 AprilSnake · 3 days | 29 January – 13 AprilSnake / Dragon |
| 2026 | 17 FebruaryHorse | 14–16 AprilHorse · 3 days | 17 February – 13 AprilHorse / Snake |
| 2027 | 6 FebruaryGoat | 14–16 AprilGoat · 3 days | 6 February – 13 AprilGoat / Horse |
| 2028 | 26 JanuaryMonkey | 13–16 AprilMonkey · 4 days | 26 January – 12 AprilMonkey / Goat |
| 2029 | 13 FebruaryRooster | 14–16 AprilRooster · 3 days | 13 February – 13 AprilRooster / Monkey |
| 2030 | 3 FebruaryDog | 14–16 AprilDog · 3 days | 3 February – 13 AprilDog / Rooster |
Khmer New Year dates are calculated with the traditional Khmer calendar rules, the same ones our Zodiac Checker uses; they match Cambodia's official holiday dates for 2024–2026. Official public holidays are announced by the government each year, so check the announcement before planning travel.
Examples: one birthday, two animals?
Born 10 January 2026
Before both New Years.
Chinese: Snake · Khmer: Snake
Born 1 March 2026
After Chinese New Year (17 February) but before Khmer New Year (14 April).
Chinese: Horse · Khmer: SnakeBorn 20 April 2026
After both New Years.
Chinese: Horse · Khmer: Horse
Anyone born between Chinese New Year and Khmer New Year — roughly from February to mid-April — has a Khmer animal one year behind their Chinese zodiac animal.
Check your animal in both calendars
Enter your birth date. It is worked out in your browser and is not saved or sent anywhere.
Which one should you use?
For Chinese zodiac readings — personality, compatibility, lucky colours and elements, as on this website — use the Chinese New Year rule. Our Zodiac Checker does this for you.
For Khmer traditions — the year name elders use, ceremonies at the pagoda, and readings by a Khmer astrologer (hora) — the Khmer calendar is the one that counts, and its animal changes at Khmer New Year.
Many Cambodian families use both without any problem. If your two animals differ, it simply means you were born in the weeks between the two New Years.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the Khmer animal year change on 1 January?
No. It changes at Khmer New Year in mid-April, at the moment of Moha Songkran. The Gregorian year and the Khmer animal year do not start on the same day.
Why is Khmer New Year in April when Chinese New Year is in January or February?
Chinese New Year is set by the moon (the second new moon after the winter solstice). Khmer New Year is set by the sun entering Aries in the traditional Khmer reckoning, which happens in mid-April.
I was born in March. Which animal am I?
In the Chinese zodiac you belong to the animal of that calendar year if you were born after Chinese New Year. In the Khmer calendar you still belong to the previous year's animal, because Khmer New Year has not happened yet.
Is the Khmer zodiac the same as the Chinese zodiac?
They use the same twelve animals in the same order, and the Khmer names (Choot, Chlov, Khal … Kor) match the Chinese ones. The difference is when each new year starts, and the Khmer calendar adds a ten-year Sak cycle.
Read next: the Khmer lunar calendar and your lunar birth date, how your Chinese zodiac sign is calculated, and find your sign.
For cultural interest and entertainment. Khmer New Year customs differ from family to family and region to region.
Sources
- Royal Government of Cambodia, Sub-Decree No. 167 (2026 public holidays: Khmer New Year 14–16 April), as published by Andersen in Cambodia.
- Khmer New Year and calendar rules as implemented in the open-source momentkh library, which our Zodiac Checker uses.
- Chinese New Year dates: the table used by our Zodiac Checker (traditional Chinese calendar).
