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Are your loved ones in luck this year? See our predictions for all the zodiac signs in the Year of the Horse.
From key rings and clothing to rainbow-coloured sweets, unicorns seem to pop up everywhere in daily life.
The mythical creature has been part of the human imagination for thousands of years, and its appeal shows no sign of fading.
But why does the unicorn continue to enchant people across generations?
“The desire for something that embodies hope, purity or magic is simply there. And the unicorn hits exactly this nerve,” says business psychologist Doreen Ullrich.
For children, unicorns often represent a protective, comforting presence. For adults, they can serve as symbols of joy or an anchor of happiness.
“They touch something that stays with us, even when we have long since grown up,” Ullrich says. For her, the unicorn is more than just sentimental: “It’s symbolism in action.”

‘A reminder that magic still exists’
The unicorn became firmly embedded in pop culture during the 1980s, especially through films and television.
One of the most iconic examples is the 1982 animated film The Last Unicorn, which features the voices of actors Mia Farrow, Angela Lansbury and Jeff Bridges.
The fascination has not waned since then. Major international brands such as Kellogg’s, Starbucks and Ritter Sport have launched unicorn-themed products, and popular video games such as Fortnite have incorporated the figure into their fantasy worlds.
Ullrich says that the unicorn is not a fad, and that its success in branding is not only down to colour and sparkles, but also because the animal touches people.
“It’s not a trend,” she says. “It is a symbol … a reminder that magic still exists.”
A recent exhibition, “Unicorn: The Mythical Beast in Art”, at the Museum Barberini in Potsdam, Germany, featured almost 150 works centred solely on the magical horselike creature.
The Barberini’s chief curator Michael Philipp has explored the origins of the mythical beast. How can it be that an animal no one has ever seen is depicted so often?

A goat with a horn?
The earliest depictions date back to the Indus Valley Civilisation, around 2,000BC, in what is today Pakistan and parts of India and Afghanistan.
Philipp says there are many small seal stones, tiny carved objects used in ancient times to mark ownership or authenticate goods, but their exact meaning remains unknown.
There are also depictions from ancient Persia (modern-day Iran) dating to around 1,000BC, and from China dating to around 200BC. This means the unicorn appeared in Asia long before it arrived in Europe.
Unicorns are often depicted as white, horned horses today, but the image has changed over the centuries.
According to Philipp, earlier depictions featured a goat with a horn. The unicorn was considered wild and aggressive and was thought to be impossible to catch alive.
Towards the end of the Middle Ages, the more noble equine depiction prevailed, though the goat’s beard often remained.

Marketing magic
Today, the unicorn is found on everything from mugs to clothing and decorations, but the business surrounding the horned creature started much earlier.
The Middle Ages and early modern times saw a boom in the trade of “unicorn horns”, which in many cases were actually narwhal tusks.
“It was believed that the unicorn’s horn protected against all kinds of poisoning,” Philipp says. “People rubbed pieces of the horn into small pieces and consumed them as a powder if they thought they were ill or poisoned.”
Aristocrats commonly kept a piece of horn on their dining table to protect themselves from poison. Pharmacies were also stocked with “unicorn” powder, Philipp says.
Unicorn-themed ‌products ranging from sparkling cosmetics to herbal remedies can still be found in shops and online today. One UK-based online shop sells “unicorn horn powder”, which it claims was made by “2 witches [who] have devoted their lives to saving and caring for the majestic magical creatures”.
Unlike other creatures, the unicorn is not bound to any specific stories. Legends say it cannot be summoned or controlled; it appears only of its own free will.
And that, Philipp says, is part of its appeal.
“It is precisely this elusiveness, combined with its magical nature, that may still inspire the positive qualities people associate with it today.”


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Posties 27 Feb 2013. Features_Fantasy landscape with unicorn and a big moon Shutterstock Stock Photo: Image ID: 106687580 __One time use only

Unicorns have remained popular for so long because they serve as “a reminder that magic still exists”. Photo: Shutterstock


A child holds a unicorn-shaped schultute, or “school cone”. The cones, which are often packed with gifts and sweets, are traditionally given to children in Germany on their first day of primary school. Photo: dpa

Starbucks’ Unicorn Frappuccino went viral in 2017.   

A section of a 15th century tapestry in Germany depicting a unicorn with a goat-like beard being held by its horn. Photo: dpa

7 popular Chinese horse idioms for you to trot out in the Year of the Horse

Horses are the subject of many Chinese idioms. Here are seven of the most popular horse-related expressions in Chinese, how to pronounce them in Cantonese and the stories behind them. Photo: Shutterstock

“Maan ma bun tang” evokes a magnificent, thundering sound. Photo: Getty Images

In Qin dynasty China, a powerful counsellor challenged aides to publicly agree with his contention that a deer he presented was in fact a horse.

“Yuen ngaai laak ma” means to “rein in the horse at the edge of the precipice”. Photo: Shutterstock

What the Chinese surname Ma, meaning ‘horse’, symbolises and its path through history

As the Year of the Horse 2026 approaches, we explore the origins and prevalence of the Chinese surname Ma, which literally translates as “horse”. Photo: Shutterstock

World-renowned cellist Yo-Yo Ma performs at the Chinese University of Hong Kong in 2023. Photo: CUHK

The etymology and stylistic changes of the character for Ma is shown in the late Chinese palaeographer Li Xueqin’s work Etymology. Photo: Li Xueqin

Ma is a prevalent surname among Chinese Hui Muslims. Photo: Shutterstock

7 successful people born in the Year of the Horse from Jackie Chan to Ang Lee and Lu Han

Jackie Chan, famous for his stunts and martial arts films, was born in 1954, the Year of the Horse. Photo: Golden Harvest

Brigitte Lin was honoured with a Lifetime Achievement Award at the 60th Golden Horse Awards in Taipei in 2023. Photo: CNA

Jackie Chan carries the Olympic torch through the Archaeological Park in Pompeii, Italy, on December 22, 2025. Photo: AP

Tu Youyou was a joint winner of the 2015 Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine for her work on artemisinin in the fight against malaria. Photo: Xinhua

Director Ang Lee poses for photos at the 61st Golden Horse Awards in Taipei in 2024. Photo: Reuters

Leon Lai Ming, one of the “Four Heavenly Kings of Cantopop”, was awarded the Medal of Honour for his charity work. Photo: Instagram/leonlaifansclub

Lu Han, a former member of K-pop group Exo, is a social media star in China. Photo: Weibo

Zheng Qinwen during a women’s singles match during the China Open at the National Tennis Centre in Beijing, China, in September 2025. Photo: AP

Why the Year of the Horse 2026 could bring chaos but also great progress

The Year of the Fire Horse begins on February 17, 2026. Being a “double fire” year, it could mean drastic change ahead. Photo: Shutterstock

2026 will mark the first Year of the Fire Horse since 1966. Photo: Shutterstock

A squad of Red Guards rally in Beijing in 1966 at the beginning of China’s Cultural Revolution. Photo: AFP

England’s national football team captain Bobby Moore holds the Jules Rimet trophy as he is carried by his teammates following England’s victory over Germany in the 1966 World Cup final at Wembley Stadium in London. Photo: AFP

Lifestyle

Arts

Year of the Horse 2026: predictions, facts, myths and feng shui

Year of the Horse 2026 predictions for all 12 Chinese zodiac signs. Is your luck in?

Will the Year of the Horse 2026 be lucky for you? Fortune-teller Tong Pik-ha offers her comprehensive predictions for those born under all 12 signs of the Chinese zodiac. Illustration: Victor Sanjinez

Illustration: Victor Sanjinez

Year of the Horse 2026: 5 famous works of equine art through the centuries

A scene from War Horse, performed at the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts in 2019. The award-winning British play is one of many artworks made over the centuries with a strong equine focus. Photo: Winson Wong

One Hundred Horses, by Giuseppe Castiglione. Photo: Taiwan National Palace Museum

The cover of a modern edition of Anna Sewell’s 1887 novel. Photo: Amazon

A visitor takes a photo of Jean-Baptiste Mauzaisse’s Napoleon at the Great St. Bernard (1807), modelled after Jacques-Louis David’s original from his Napoleon Crossing the Alps (1801-1805) series, at Sotheby’s Hong Kong, in May 2025. Photo: Jelly Tse

The British play War Horse won recognition for the life-size horse puppets it featured that were operated by three puppeteers working in tandem. Photo: Winson Wong

Hong Kong actor and singer Hins Cheung (right) performs in a scene from Equus. Peter Shaffer’s 1973 play about a troubled teenager with an erotic fixation on horses is one of the darker pieces of equine art. Photo: Dionysus Contemporary Theatre

5 of the best-known horses in Chinese legend, from the Red Hare to qilin

Warlord Lu Bu and his famous horse Red Hare are depicted in the 2013 video game Dynasty Warriors 8: Xtreme Legends.

Horse-Face (right) and Ox-Head are guardians of the underworld in Chinese folklore. Photo: Zhihu

A stone sculpture of a horse stands near the entrance to the White Horse Temple in Luoyang, in China’s Henan province. Photo: May Tse

The daughter and her horse from a story in the Chinese folk legend collection In Search of the Supernatural. Photo: Baidu

Colourful qilin decorate the roof of a Chinese temple. Photo: Shutterstock

Mongolia’s child jockeys are key to its nomadic heritage, but are they in danger?

Horse rider Dolgorsuren Batoyun (centre) is pictured as a child. Now grown up, the first woman member of Mongolia’s national polo team looks back fondly on the “cultures and customs” her father (right) taught her. Photo: Dominique Backhouse

Genghis Khan Retreat director D’Artagnan Giercke is pictured as a child. Photo: Dominique Backhouse

Dorjpalam Battumur, known as Palam, is a member of the Mongolian national polo team who started horse racing at the age of four. Photo: Dominique Backhouse

Batoyun is pictured riding a horse as a child. Photo: Dominique Backhouse

Tourists enjoy horseback riding near the iconic Turtle Rock outcrop at the Gorkhi Terelj National Park outside Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. Photo: AP

People play polo in Mongolia. Photo: Ghenghis Khan Retreat

Batoyun (right) with her husband and son. In recent years, she has observed changes in laws and regulations that are “better for both jockeys and the horses”. Photo: Dominique Backhouse

How Hong Kong horse riding charity’s equine therapy helps people with disabilities

An instructor for Hong Kong’s Riding for the Disabled Association guides a child on a horse. The non-profit organisation teaches disabled children and some adults to ride a horse to the best of their ability. Photo: RDA

Students ride horses guided by instructors from the Riding for the Disabled Association at the Pokfulam Public Riding School. Photo: RDA

Joelle Scott has been working with the RDA for 30 years. Photo: Jonathan Wong

Scott demonstrates how to ride on a horse model. Photo: Jonathan Wong

Former RDA student Chi Tat (centre) recently returned to work as a volunteer. Photo: RDA

What is horse oil and why is it a popular skin treatment in East Asia?

Horse oil has been used for centuries to treat burned and chapped skin, and later as a beauty product. Photo: Shutterstock

Basashi (horse sushi) in Kumamoto, Japan. Horse oil products are widely available in Japan, where horse meat is eaten. Photo: Sam Evans

Horse oil cream has a lighter, less greasy consistency than creams derived from other animal fats. Photo: Charmzone

Horse oil is a popular traditional product, but a dermatology expert does not recommend its use to her patients because of a lack of research. Photo: Getty Images

New Hong Kong restaurant Yurt brings Kazakhstan’s horsemeat tradition to the city

A variety of dishes at Yurt, including beshbarmak (top left). Photo: Yurt

The beshbarmak – boiled horsemeat served with noodles – at Yurt is made with beef instead of the traditional horsemeat, but it can be upgraded to kazy, seasoned horsemeat sausage. The new restaurant in SoHo, Hong Kong, gives visitors a taste of Central Asia. Photo: Yurt

(From left) Yurt founder Ali Nuraly, head of communications Xeniya Tregubenko and executive chef Marat Zakaryayev. Photo: Yurt

Baursak is a traditional fried dough served with a dip of sour cream and honey. Photo: Lisa Cam

How My Little Pony collectible trading cards took China by storm

My Little Pony trading cards have become hugely popular across China, with fans hoping to find rare cards in packs.

A selection of My Little Pony collectible cards.

People play a game of My Little Pony with the cards. 

A My Little Pony display in Shanghai. Photo: SCMP

What is the horse pose in yoga? Only ‘3 out of 10 students’ can do it, instructor says

A yoga practitioner performs horse pose. Also known as horse face pose or vatayanasana, it is a very advanced posture in yoga that can boost hip mobility and strength. Photo: Shutterstock

Yoga instructor Carrie Pun demonstrates horse pose. Photo: Carrie Pun

How Chinese artist Xu Beihong’s horse paintings have galloped through history

The Three Stallions, by Xu Beihong. The piece is just one example of the many horse paintings that Xu was known for.

Two Galloping Horses (1941), by Xu Beihong. Photo: courtesy of Bonhams

Five Galloping Horses, by Xu Beihong, is seen at Sotheby’s Hong Kong in 2015. 

Slave and Lion (1924), by Xu Beihong, is displayed during a Christie’s auction preview in Hong Kong in 2006.

Two Horses On Hillside, early 1900s, by Xu Beihong. Photo: Getty Images

Standing Horse (1953), by Xu Beihong.

The Chinese cowboys challenging American Old West narratives through art and self-discovery

Self-professed Chinese cowboy Bruce Wang Shibo stands with a horse. The Chinese national is one of those rewriting narratives of the American West. Photo: Bruce Wang Shibo

A piece from Kenneth Tam’s Silent Spikes exhibition. Photo: Christian Carroll

Wang did not intend to stay in the US forever, but has settled in Texas. Photo: Bruce Wang Shibo

A Korean horsehair underskirt sparked a fashion frenzy in China during the Ming dynasty

Ming Emperor Xianzong’s Tour of the Lantern Festival is a painting that depicts Emperor Chenghua in 1485 with eunuchs and palace maids portrayed wearing skirts that look like umbrellas spread out. South Korean researcher Koo Do-young proposes that they are wearing mamigun, the Korean originator to the Chinese maweiqun.

Visitors dressed in traditional Korean attire at the Gyeongbokgung Palace, the main royal palace during the Joseon dynasty, in Seoul, South Korea, in 2019. Photo: AP

A Korean woman poses with her daughter in traditional hanbok dress, c. 1910. The mamigun was the Korean originator to the underskirt that both rose to fame and died in infamy during the Ming dynasty. Photo: Pictures From History/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

A section from the painting Beauties in History, attributed to the Ming dynasty artist Qiu Ying. Korean fashion became popular among wealthy Chinese people during Emperor Chenghua’s reign (1465-1487). Photo: Pictures from History/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

A view of Jeju Island in Korea. During the Joseon period, commodities made of horsehair were mainly provided from Jeju Island. Photo: Shutterstock

3 Year of the Horse 2026 events in Hong Kong to welcome the new year with a gallop

The Longines Hong Kong International Horse Show will return to the AsiaWorld-Expo from January 30 to February 1. The 2026 event will feature competitions and entertainment as well as the chance to see impressive equine action. Photo: Hong Kong Jockey Club

The Scarpa CNY Horse Tour 2026 will include multiple routes to cater to runners of all levels. Photo: Facebook/Wildtrek Trail Running Series

Bullseye from Toy Story will make an appearance at Hong Kong Disneyland from January 30 to March 1. Photo: Hong Kong Disneyland

History of Chinese-style ‘frog buttons’, seen on viral ‘Tang-style’ Adidas jacket

A model wears Adidas’ “Tang-style” jacket that combines streetwear cool with Chinese details including “frog buttons”. The jacket has become a viral hit on social media. Photo: Adidas Power of Three

Frog buttons are seen on Adidas’ limited-edition “Tang-style” jacket during Shanghai Fashion Week in October 2025.

An example of the pankou or frog button used as fasteners on clothing. 

A hussar uniform jacket with frog buttons worn by Prince Arthur, the Duke of Connaught and third son of Queen Victoria, in the 1900s. Photo: National Army Museum

A 1930s qipao that uses frog buttons. Photo: The Met

A piece by Valentino featuring frog buttons. Photo: Valentino

Year of the Horse 2026 predictions for Horses, from lucky colour to romance and health

Those born in the Year of the Horse can expect a turbulent Year of the Horse, with good wealth prospects mixed with less luck predicted in the areas of health and romance. Illustration: Victor Sanjinez

Aquamarine is the lucky element for Horses in the Year of the Horse 2026, according to fortune-teller Tong Pik-ha. Photo: Dickson Lee

Horses should have a prosperous Year of the Horse when it comes to work and career. Photo: Shutterstock

The Year of the Horse may be a critical year for Horses with relationships that are prone to changes and potential break-ups. Photo: Shutterstock

Horses are advised not to undertake any risky activities such as adventure sports this year, especially if there is metal involved. Photo: Chris Gursky / YouTube

Year of the Horse 2026 predictions for Sheep, from their lucky colour to romance and health

Those born in the Year of the Sheep will have a change in fortunes in the Year of the Horse, with good luck in their careers, relationships and health. Illustration: Victor Sanjinez

Sterling silver is the lucky element for Sheep in the Year of the Horse 2026, according to fortune-teller Tong Pik-ha. Photo: Mr Porter

The Year of the Horse is a good time for Sheep to show their abilities at work to improve their chances of a promotion or pay rise. Photo: Shutterstock

Sheep in long-term relationships should proactively reinforce their bonds with their partners this year. Photo: Shutterstock

Year of the Horse 2026 predictions for Monkeys, from their love and health to lucky colour

The Year of the Horse 2026 will be a time for those born in the Year of the Monkey to expand networks abroad. But married Monkeys are at risk of feeling alienated from their spouse. Illustration: Victor Sanjinez

Citrine is the lucky element for Monkeys in the Year of the Horse 2026, according to fortune-teller Tong Pik-ha. Photo: Shutterstock

Those born in the Year of the Monkey will experience good fortune at work this year, with wealth coming from their occupation rather than a windfall. Photo: Getty Images

Married Monkeys will be at risk of feeling lonely in the Year of the Horse and so need to keep their emotions in check should they hit it off with others. Photo: Getty Images

Monkeys should avoid visiting sick people in the Year of the Horse to avoid bad energy. Photo: Shutterstock

Chinese Lunar New Year greetings in Mandarin, Cantonese, Shanghainese and Hokkien dialects

A woman holds Lunar New Year decorations. Throughout China, greetings in various dialects will be exchanged to welcome the Year of the Horse. Here are some of them and their meanings. Photo: Shutterstock

People shop at a market selling Lunar New Year decorations in Mong Kok, Hong Kong, in 2023. Photo: Edmond So

People walk past a sign reading “Happy New Year” on a screen outside a shopping centre in Beijing in 2025. Photo: AFP

People visit Shanghai’s Yu Garden during the Lantern Festival, which marks the end of the Lunar New Year celebrations, in February 2023. Photo: AFP

Year of the Horse 2026 predictions for Roosters, from love and health to their lucky colour

In the Year of the Horse 2026, Roosters will enjoy good luck in terms of career prospects and windfalls, romance and health. But it is crucial to use caution when entering into business agreements and to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Illustration: Victor Sanjinez

Tiger’s eye worry beads. Tiger’s eye is the lucky element for Roosters in the Year of the Horse, according to fortune-teller Tong Pik-ha. Photo: Shutterstock

The magic of unicorns: why this mythical horned horse still has us under its spell

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}From ancient Indus Valley seals to Starbucks cups, the unicorn has long served as a symbol of magic and hope

From ancient Indus Valley seals to Starbucks cups, the unicorn has long served as a symbol of magic and hope