February 17th, 2026- The Chinese New Year opens as the year of the horse, shedding the previous snake year of 2025.

Kissing The Slithery Snake Goodbye

Last lunar year, the year of the snake, was unfortunately a rough year for most individuals (according to every single source questioned by The Daily Croak).

The consensus/ word around town is a unanimously tumultuous time filled with bad beats.

While the year of the snake (wood snake specifically) symbolizes intuition and intellect, it seems like the lesson to be learned was just how unfair the world can be. In 2025, many grew tired of watching cruel, calculating individuals remain unvanquished in the face of goodness, decency, and justice.

The year of the snake can also mark instability for some individuals, leaving many of us feeling like our entire existence was picked up like a snow globe and tossed into the neighbor’s yard.

In Stampedes The Year of The Fire Horse

Like a Dothraki horde charging into a battle (like this time), the lunar year of the fire horse is here to give us all the strength and energy to enact rapid change, while promoting freedom and passion. What a perfect symbolic champion to trample tyranny and injustice once and for all.

The year of the fire horse is a year of resistance

This particular animal/elemental combo comes around every 60 years, making for particularly kismet spiritual happening.

The Plot Thickens

Upon digging into the symbolism of this year, the origin story stood out:

Superstition time: “A woman born in the year of the fire horse has a strong temperament, shortens her husband’s life and bring ruin to their families and maybe even kill their husbands.” This superstition has some teeth, as the last year of the fire horse dropped Japanese birth rates as much as 24 percent.

On the flip side: “A Fire Horse year is said to produce women of extraordinary spirit—brilliant, independent, and unafraid to defy convention.”

So which is it, family ruin/ husband killers or brilliant and defiant women? I suppose the answer entirely depends on who you ask, and their response to strong women that may be difficult to control.

Looking Ahead

However you may interpret the themes that mark the year ahead, remember to always stand against the face of injustice, no matter how great the foe.

(Just like the last unicorn fought off the Red Bull at the last possible moment so that all the other unicorns could emerge from their jail in the sea)