The Lunar New Year, widely considered the most important event of the year in China and Chinese communities around the globe, arrives on . Marking the first new moon of the lunar calendar, it initiates the 15-day Spring Festival, a period steeped in tradition and cultural significance.
Celebrations vary across countries and regions, but common threads unite them: a reverence for ancestors, a focus on family, and a belief in ushering in good fortune for the year ahead. This year marks the beginning of the Year of the Horse, according to the Chinese zodiac.
The Chinese zodiac operates on a 12-year cycle, with each year represented by an animal: Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, and Pig. An individual’s zodiac sign is determined by their birth year, meaning 2026 will be a particularly significant year for those born under the Horse. Those born in 1930, 1942, 1954, 1966, 1978, 1990, and 2026 are experiencing their Ben Ming Nian – their Zodiac Year of Birth.
Beyond the animal sign, each year is also paired with a heavenly stem and an earthly branch. In 2026, the heavenly stem is “Bing” (big sun) and the earthly branch is “Wu” (the Horse), resulting in the designation of the Year of the Fire Horse. Followers believe that an individual’s luck throughout the year will be largely influenced by the positions of the Tai Sui – stellar deities thought to rotate parallel to Jupiter.
Geomancy masters interpret these positions, offering guidance on what the year holds for each zodiac sign. Many followers visit temples to seek blessings tailored to their individual astrological outlook.
Why light firecrackers and wear red? Meet Nian
The origins of many Lunar New Year traditions are rooted in folklore, and the legend of Nian is among the most well-known. According to the tale, Nian was a ferocious beast that emerged annually on Lunar New Year’s Eve to attack villages. A mysterious old man, defying warnings, remained in a village one year and successfully repelled Nian using red banners, firecrackers, and red clothing. This represents why these elements – the vibrant color red, the loud bursts of firecrackers, and the symbolic banners – remain central to Lunar New Year celebrations, intended to ward off evil and invite good fortune.
The preparations for Lunar New Year are extensive, often spanning the two weeks leading up to the new year. Festive cakes and puddings are made a week prior, on February 11th in 2026. The word for these treats, gao in Mandarin and gou in Cantonese, sounds similar to the word for “tall,” symbolizing growth and improvement in the coming year.
Hanging red banners bearing auspicious phrases – known as fai chun in Cantonese and chunlian in Mandarin – is another crucial preparation, beginning with the front door. These banners serve a dual purpose: deterring Nian and attracting good luck.
A thorough house cleaning is traditionally undertaken on February 15th, 2026, to rid the home of accumulated bad luck. Some believe sweeping or discarding trash during the first five days of the new year will wash away the newly acquired good fortune. Similarly, washing or cutting one’s hair on New Year’s Day is often avoided, as the Chinese character for “hair” is the first character in the word for “prosper,” and doing so is seen as discarding prosperity.
The Lunar New Year’s Eve, falling on , is typically marked by a large family reunion dinner. The menu is carefully curated to include dishes symbolizing luck, such as fish (representing surplus), puddings (symbolizing advancement), and foods resembling gold ingots, like dumplings.
Regional variations in the Lunar New Year feast are common. In northern China, dumplings and noodles are staples, while southern regions favor steamed rice. In Malaysia and Singapore, the “prosperity toss,” or yusheng, is a lively tradition where diners stir and toss thinly sliced vegetables and raw fish with chopsticks before the meal.
Lunar New Year’s Day: Family visits and red packets
The first few days of the Lunar New Year are often a whirlwind of visits to family, relatives, and friends. Gifts and fruit are exchanged, and visitors are treated to Lunar New Year delicacies. A customary practice is the giving of red packets, or hongbao/lai see, filled with money to those who are unmarried – both children and younger relatives. These envelopes are believed to ward off evil spirits and bring good luck.
Other Asian countries have their own unique Lunar New Year traditions. In South Korea, the festival, known as Seollal, involves tributes to ancestors, festive games, and traditional foods like rice cakes (tteokguk) and pancakes (jeon).
The seventh day of the Lunar New Year, February 23rd, is celebrated as renri/jan jat – the people’s birthday – commemorating the creation of humanity by the Chinese mother goddess, Nuwa. Different communities serve special “birthday” foods on this day, such as seven types of vegetables in Cantonese communities or a prosperity toss in Malaysia and Singapore.
The culmination of the Spring Festival is the Lantern Festival on March 3rd, 2026. Called Yuan Xiao Jie in Mandarin, it marks the end of the Lunar New Year celebrations and the arrival of the first full moon of the year. Lanterns are lit to symbolize driving away darkness and embracing hope for the future. Historically, it was the only day young girls were permitted to go out and meet boys, earning it the nickname “Chinese Valentine’s Day.” Today, cities worldwide host elaborate lantern displays and fairs to mark the occasion.
