The dates change every year because the festival is based on the Chinese Lunar Calendar. Get the latest stories delivered straight to your inbox. President Trump has warned of severe consequences if no nuclear deal is reached, while Iran demands sanctions relief as part of any agreement. US and Iranian officials are meeting in Geneva for a second round of talks on Tehran’s nuclear program, mediated by Oman, amid rising tensions and military drills. The previous zodiac year, from January 29, 2025, to February 16, 2026, was the Year of the Wood Snake, representing a time to shed old habits, reassess what works, and trust inner wisdom.
This is also considered a propitious day to visit the temple of the God of Wealth and have one’s future told. Hakka villagers in rural Hong Kong in the 1960s called it the Day of the Poor Devil and believed everyone should stay at home. As this day is believed to be The Birthday of Che Kung, a deity worshipped in Hong Kong, worshippers go to Che Kung Temples to pray for his blessing.
What foods are traditionally eaten during the Chinese New Year?
- Some people do not offer a Buddhist prayer due to the influence of Christianity, with a Christian prayer offered instead.
- In 2026, no official Chinese New Year celebrations were held in Yaowarat as the country was in mourning following the passing of the Queen Sirikit.
- Windows and doors may be decorated with red paper-cuts and couplets representing themes such as good fortune, happiness, wealth, and longevity.
- Primarily in traditional Chinese culture, the colour red originates from the myth of a monster called Nian.
- For many Chinese Buddhists, this is another day to avoid meat, as the seventh day commemorates the birth of Sakra, lord of the Devas in Buddhist cosmology, who is analogous to the Jade Emperor.
- The largest of three parades has around 40 groups and 4,000 performers and is attended by more than 200,000 people in the 13th arrondissement.
- Nearly a quarter of the world – across East Asian countries – pauses to celebrate the New Year, to mark the end of winter and the beginning of spring.
Chinese New Year festivities occur throughout Thailand, especially in provinces where many people of Chinese descent live, such as Nakhon Sawan, Suphan Buri, and Phuket. Hokkien households celebrate the Jade Emperor’s birthday, known colloquially as the «Hokkien New Year», on the ninth day, with offerings. Penang’s Chief Minister customarily hosts an «open house» for the public, while various other events take place across the city, including at the Chinese clan houses and the Snake Temple. However, transportation in eastern Taiwan and between Taiwan and its outlying islands is less convenient.
It is convenient for people to buy gifts for their New Year visits as well as their home decorations at these markets. These usually open-air markets feature New Year–related products such as flowers, toys, clothing, and even fireworks and firecrackers. Common gifts include fruits (especially oranges, but never pears), cakes, biscuits, chocolates, and candies. In addition to red envelopes, typically given from older individuals to younger ones, small gifts such as food or sweets are exchanged between friends or relatives from different households during Chinese New Year. With the demon vanquished, peace returned to the village, and in gratitude, the elders bestowed upon the courageous young man a red envelope filled with money as a token of appreciation for his valor and for freeing the village from the demon’s menace. When the sui was going to reach out and touch the child’s head, the pillow suddenly brightened with the golden light, and the sui was scared away, so the exorcism effect of «red paper wrapped copper money» spread in China (see also Chinese numismatic charms).
As described by Song dynasty official Zhang Tangying in his book Shu Tao Wu, Volume 2, on the day of New Year’s Eve the emperor ordered the scholar Xin Yinxun to write the couplets on peach wood and hang them on the emperor’s bedroom door. During the Tang dynasty, people established the custom of sending bai nian tie (拜年帖, «New Year’s greetings»), New Year’s greeting cards. It evolved into the practice of cleaning one’s house thoroughly in the days preceding the Chinese New Year. In the Lüshi Chunqiu, in the Qin state, an exorcism ritual to expel illness, called «Big Nuo», was recorded as being carried out on the last day of the year. The 10th month celebration is believed to be one of the prototypes of Chinese New Year.The records of the first Chinese New Year celebration can be traced to the Warring States period (475 – 221 BC).
South Asia
The main parade, which sees over 100,000 spectators and involves more than 3,500 performers, is a notable highlight of the celebrations. With one of the largest Chinese populations outside of Asia, Sydney also boasts the largest Chinese New Year celebrations outside of Asia, annually attracting over 600,000 attendees to the festivities in Chinatown. The Dragon dance and the Southern Lion dance are customarily performed on that day. The main events typically take place in the Chinatown area in Port Louis, the capital of Mauritius. During the week before New Year’s Day, spring cleaning in homes is performed.
Each flower has a symbolic meaning, and many Chinese people believe that it may usher in the values that it represents. During Chinese New Year day, work at most establishments stops, and a favourite pastime is playing Mahjong with family or friends. In some places, the taking of a family portrait is an important ceremony after the relatives are gathered. The colour red is commonly worn throughout Chinese New Year; traditional beliefs held that red could scare away evil spirits. In mainland China, the New Year’s Gala is broadcast by every TV station, featuring traditional performances and a message by the president. It is customary for gifts to be wrapped in red or golden paper, symbolizing good luck.
When is Chinese New Year
- Chinese New Year’s Eve is typically a half-day holiday in Malaysia, while Chinese New Year is a two-day public holiday.
- Brooms and dust pans are put away on the first day so that the newly arrived good luck cannot be swept away.
- Chinese New Year festivities occur throughout Thailand, especially in provinces where many people of Chinese descent live, such as Nakhon Sawan, Suphan Buri, and Phuket.
- Both bao zhu (爆竹) and bian pao (鞭炮) are still used today to celebrate the Chinese New Year and other festive occasions.
- Although the Spring Festival is scheduled on the first day of the first lunar month, the activities during Chinese New Year are not limited to just that day.
It is customary and polite for children to wish elders a happy new year and a year of happiness, health, and good fortune before accepting the red envelope. Red packets are generally given by married couples to the younger unmarried members of the family. In response, parents wrapped coins in red paper and placed them next to their children’s pillows. According to legend, a demon named Sui would pat a child on the head three times on New Year’s Eve, causing the child to have a fever.
Why do Chinese New Year dates change every year?
The first three days are filled with tributes to ancestors, festive games and foods such as rice cakes (tteokguk) and pancakes (jeon). In South Korea, for instance, the Lunar New Year festival is called Seollal. It’s believed these envelopes — known as hongbao/lai see — can protect children by warding off evil spirits, called sui. In many families, married people are expected to give out red packets filled with money to those who haven’t yet tied the knot — both children and unmarried juniors. For many followers, the Lunar New Year is an ideal time to visit a temple to make blessings depending on what the stars have to say about their particular zodiac sign for the coming months.
Geomancy masters may interpret the data differently, but there is usually a consensus on what the year means for each zodiac animal based on the positions of the stars. Your personal zodiac animal sign is determined by your year of birth, meaning 2026 will welcome plenty of baby Horses. Whether you’re unfamiliar with the occasion or need a refresher, this guide to ushering in the Year of the Horse has you covered. Religious activities and preparations for Lunar New Year would begin on this day.
Watching Spring Festival Gala (春晚)
According to Chinese metaphysics consultant Vicki Iskandar, the Year of the Horse comes every 12 years and the last time “we had the Fire Horse as the ‘pillar’ of the year was in 1966”. The Chinese zodiac system combines a 12-year animal cycle with a 60-year elemental cycle created by pairing the five elements with yin and yang. The Vietnamese zodiac is slightly different, as it honours the cat instead of the rabbit and the buffalo instead of the ox. According to legend, as God prepared to depart from Earth, he invited all the animals to bid him farewell.
Chinese New Year, annual 15-day festival in China and Chinese communities around the world that begins with the new moon occurring sometime between January 21 and February 20, according to Western calendars. In Paris, since the 1980s, month-long celebrations have been held in several districts with many performances. Signed into law in 2022 and effective in 2023, California declared the Lunar New Year a state government holiday.
The celebration attracts between 300,000 and 500,000 people yearly, according to the organisers. In London, celebrations take place in Chinatown, Leicester Square, and Trafalgar Square. Many people also celebrate by going to temples across Southern California, and the largest temple celebration is held at Hsi Lai Temple in Hacienda Heights. Starting in 2014, there are also larger celebrations at the Orange County Fair and Events Center in Costa Mesa, which attract over 50,000 visitors.
The traditional dances are known worldwide and are often accompanied with loud drums and the cheers of a crowd. But often at the heart of the events, you’ll spot a dragon and a lion. If you’ve ever attended a Lunar New Year or Chinese New Year celebration, or have even seen photographs, you’ll likely have seen a number of extravagant costumes and dancers.
The clever Snake coiled around the Horse’s hoof, managing to finish the race ahead of the Horse and causing the Horse to fall into the seventh place. According to Chinese mythology, the order of the zodiac animals was decided by a Great Race held by the Jade Emperor. The Chinese zodiac follows a 12-year cycle, with each year represented by a different animal. This story explains two important traditions—hanging red decorations and lighting firecrackers—representing victory over evil and a fresh start to the year.
The Lunar New Year begins with the first new moon of the lunar calendar cycle and ends 15 days later with the first full moon. Falling on the 15th day of the first month in the lunar calendar, this year in 2026, it falls on 3 March. The Lantern Festival, a traditional Chinese festival, marks the final day of the 15-day Spring Festival celebrations. Celebrated across the world, particularly throughout East Asia and China, the Lunar New Year is one of the most important holidays in the calendar. During Chinese New Year, people will set off firecrackers on New Year’s Eve and the first day of the first lunar month. From the 23rd day of the 12th lunar month at year end, people start to be busy with the Lunar New Year, and all activities have a common theme – bidding farewell to the old and welcoming the new.
If you are interested in any one of the festivals, China Xian Tour can recommend you the cities with strong festival atmosphere and then tailor a trip to include more unique experiences of the festival. The common things to avoid are that do not speak bad words, break things or sweep the floor (in case you sweep out the good luck). In solar calendar, it is usually between January 20th – February 20th. All the family members gather together to enjoy a fancy dinner, which symbolizes family harmony, reunion Ringospin Casino and happiness. When choosing gifts, attention should be paid to practicality and the preferences of the recipient, as well as the festival cultural connotations and social etiquette. —Wishing you a happy new year, good luck, and all the best!