Chinese New Year—known in China as Chūn Jié (Spring Festival)—is the most important celebration in the traditional Chinese calendar. It is celebrated in February of each lunar year and lasts for over 15 days of events, including rituals and festivities that culminate in the Lantern Festival. With more than 3,000 years of history, this time of year marked the transition from winter to spring, a crucial moment for agricultural communities, who asked their ancestors for protection, prosperity, and abundant harvests.
One of the most well-known legends is that of the mythical monster Nian (which in Chinese means “year”): it is said that this terrifying creature would emerge at “New Year” to terrorize villages. The villagers discovered that it hated the color red and loud noises, so they decorated homes and streets with red cloths and used firecrackers and drums to keep it away.
The tradition of the Chinese Zodiac links each year to 12 animals in a continuous cycle: Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, and Pig. According to a popular legend, the order was determined by a great race among the animals organized by the Jade Emperor, and their arrival order established the zodiac sequence. Each animal is symbolic: it represents personality traits and potential “energies” associated with those born in that year—an ancient way of interpreting destiny and personality, very different from Western astrology.
The system is not only based on 12 animals, but also includes 5 elements (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water), which intertwine to form a 60-year cycle in which each year is unique.
In 2026, Chinese New Year begins on February 17 according to the lunar calendar and marks the start of the Year of the Fire Horse.
The Horse is the seventh animal in the cycle and symbolizes energy, movement, independence, enthusiasm, and a free spirit. Fire, among the five elements, adds passion, vision, boldness, and intensity to the Horse’s qualities.
Since the animal + element combination repeats only every 60 years, the Fire Horse had not appeared since 1966—the same year the land was purchased on which Hotel AbanoRitz would later be built. The hotel opened the following year, marking the beginning of a story of hospitality, care, and wellness.
This astrological combination is considered strong, dynamic, and stimulating. It brings creativity and new initiatives, but also the need for balance.
A meaningful coincidence, therefore, links 1966 and 2026: in 1966, the land with the thermal well where Hotel AbanoRitz now stands was purchased, and 1966 was also the last Year of the Fire Horse in the ancient Chinese cycle. In 2026, the Fire Horse returns—creating a symbolic energetic bridge between the birth year of the AbanoRitz project and its 60th anniversary. Tradition and future: a perfect wish.
The Fire Horse reminds us that the most beautiful strength is the one that can unite tradition with the drive toward tomorrow—and, in many ways, AbanoRitz is exactly that. A coincidence that can also become an inspiring opportunity to live this year as a new spring: the energy of fire and the freedom of the horse accompanying the journey of a hotel with 60 years of history.
