Year 2010 is the year of Metal Tiger Year. 2010 Chinese New Year Day is on February 14, 2010 in China's time zone. This day is a new moon day, and is the first day of the first Chinese lunar month in the Chinese Lunar Calendar system. The exact new moon time is at 10:52 on 14-Feb-10 in China time zone.
If we apply Chinese lunar calendar system on the USA time zones, we find something interesting here. In the US Eastern Standard Time (EST), the new moon time is at 21:52 of 13-Feb-10. In the US Pacific Standard Time (PST), the new moon time is at 18:52 of 13-Feb-10. Therefore, the Chinese New Year Day for USA time zones is on February 13, 2010.
The first of Chinese Astrological Year is not on the Chinese New Year Day. In China's time zone, the first day of the Chinese astrological Metal Tiger Year is February 4, 2010, because February 4th, 2010 is the first day of Tiger month and the Tiger month is the first month of the year in Chinese Fortune-Telling Calendar system.
In the Chinese Fortune-Telling calendar, the first day of the first month, Tiger month, is called "Start of Spring", which is when the sun enters the 315th degree on the tropical zodiac. In the China's time zone, the time of the Start of Spring is at Feb-04 06:47. So the first day of the White Tiger year 2010 is on 04-Feb-09.
The time of the Start of Spring is on Feb-03 at 17:47 for US EST zone and on Feb-03 at 14:47 for US PST zone. So the first day of White Tiger Year in USA is on 03-Feb-2010.
This is because Chinese Four Pillar Five Element astrology uses the solar calendar, no the lunar calendar. Many people don't realize this; they think Chinese astrology should use the Lunar Calendar until they build a wrong Chinese astrology birth chart. If a person was born on February 5, 2010, before Chinese New Year Day, then his or her birth year animal sign is Tiger, not Ox. More about Chinese Astrology Calendar is at http://www.chinesefortunecalendar.com/clc/LunarCalendar.htm
To predict people's Chinese horoscope 2010 using animal sign for 2010, it will describe using animal characteristics, such as "Chinese say one mountain cannot abide two tigers. That means there can only have one king in the nation. Tiger is a vigorous and ferocious animal. One Tiger is a symbol of power and authority. Two Tigers mean fighting for power. The loser will become powerless. Therefore, it's a taboo for Tiger people meet the Tiger of zodiac year. This implies 2010 is not a good year for Tiger people. Friendship, love relationship, money management, career position or power competition might be damaged in 2010."
But the traditional Chinese astrology prediction from Chinese fortunetellers are using the Chinese Five Element theory.
I wrote one for 2010 at http://www.chinesefortunecalendar.com/2010ChineseHoroscope.htm
If you are interesting about Chinese New Year festivals, then my Chinese New Year Questions and Answers page convers lots of information at http://www.chinesefortunecalendar.com/NewYear.htm
Happy Chinese New Year!
