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.
Public holiday
Many believe that a big cleanup should take place at home on the 28th day of the last lunar month, which falls on February 15 this year. Every animal in this zodiac system, which is called Sheng Xiao, is believed to have a personality that represents the year and the people born during that year. Some people prepare and enjoy special foods on certain days during the holiday. Since the mid-1990s people in China have been given seven consecutive days off work during the Chinese New Year. During the 15 days of celebration, breaking objects is considered a bad omen, as it is thought to bring bad luck, and gifting or buying new books is discouraged because the word for “book” sounds like “lose” in Chinese. Nevertheless, decorative lights and lanterns were displayed as usual, and Songkhla Province declared the day a public holiday.
The first day of the Chinese New Year falls on the new moon that appears between 21 January and 20 February.a Chinese New Year dates vary slightly between years, but it usually comes during the period from January 21st to February 20th in Gregorian calendar. The Chinese New Year of 2026 falls on February 17th (Tuesday), and will last to February 21th.
The fireworks and firecrackers tradition
As one of the twelve traditional zodiac animals in Chinese culture, the Horse corresponds to the Earthly Branch ‚Wu‘ and appears in a twelve-year cyclical pattern within the traditional calendar system. The first and second days of the Lunar New Year are reserved for visiting family and friends. For those born in a Horse year, 2026 is their Ben Ming Nian—a year traditionally believed to bring bad luck due to a clash with Tai Sui, the God of Age. Lunar New Year, also known as Chinese New Year or Spring Festival, marks the start of a new zodiac cycle based on the Chinese lunar calendar. Nowadays, cities worldwide still put on massive lantern displays and fairs on the festival’s final day.
- Crisp, golden spring rolls mirror ancient gold bars, symbolizing wealth, and bright citrus fruits such as oranges and tangerines are shared because their round shape and color evoke fullness, success, and good luck.
- 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.
- According to legend, Chinese New Year started with combating a mythical beast called the Nian (a beast that lives under the sea or in the mountains that looks like a lion with horns) during the annual Spring Festival.
- It is a traditional custom that has a great influence and is widely spread among Chinese people.
- However, transportation in eastern Taiwan and between Taiwan and its outlying islands is less convenient.
- It is best to choose bright, colorful, and warm Chinese New Year clothes, especially red clothes, because red symbolizes auspiciousness and festivity.
- The Lunar New Year in 2026 welcomes the Year of the Horse, according to the Chinese lunar calendar.
Chinese New Year Calendar
It is also recorded that people linked the firecrackers with hemp rope and created the bian pao (鞭炮, „gunpowder whip“) in the Song dynasty. The firecracker was still called bao zhu (爆竹), thus equating the new and old traditions. Later, under the Song, people discarded the bamboo and started to use paper to wrap the gunpowder in cylinders, in imitation of the bamboo. After gunpowder was invented in the Tang dynasty and widely used under the Song dynasty, people modified the tradition of firing bamboo by filling the bamboo pole with gunpowder, which made for louder explosions. As imperial examinations became essential and reached their heyday under the Tang dynasty, candidates curried favour to become pupils of respected teachers and to get recommendation letters. Another theory is that bai nian tie was derived from the Han dynasty’s name tag, men zhuang (門狀, „door opening“).
The fifth day of the new year is dedicated to welcoming Cai Shen, the God of Wealth. When visiting, it’s customary to bring gifts, such as fruits or beverages, and exchange greetings like Gong Xi Fa Cai (wishing you prosperity) and Guo Nian Hao (happy new year). In the past, the gesture behind the red pockets was more important than the amount of money inside. A key part of this tradition is the exchange of Hong Bao (red envelopes), which carry good wishes.
- A key part of this tradition is the exchange of Hong Bao (red envelopes), which carry good wishes.
- Owing to a large number of interprovincial travellers, special arrangements are made by railways, buses, and airlines starting from fifteen days before the New Year’s Day.
- According to the traditional Chinese lunar calendar, years were historically designated through a combination of the Ten Heavenly Stems and the Twelve Earthly Branches.
- From ABC News (Australia), The Year of the Horse explained and how people across Asia celebrate the Lunar New Year
- Some companies and public institutions enjoy a longer holiday up to 10 days or more, because in common knowledge among Chinese people, the festival lasts longer, from the Lunar New Year’s Eve to the 15th day of the first lunar month (Lantern Festival).
- As imperial examinations became essential and reached their heyday under the Tang dynasty, candidates curried favour to become pupils of respected teachers and to get recommendation letters.
Dates in the Chinese lunisolar calendar
The wearing of new clothes is another clothing custom during the festival; the new clothes symbolize a new beginning. The burning of firecrackers also signifies a joyful time of year and has become an integral aspect of Chinese New Year celebrations. Once ignited, the firecracker lets out a loud popping noise and, as they are usually strung together by the hundreds, the firecrackers are known for their deafening explosions that are thought to scare away evil spirits. Each firecracker is rolled up in red paper, as red is auspicious, with gunpowder in its core.
Reunion dinners (particularly in the Southern regions) may prominently feature specialty meats (e.g. wax-cured meats such as duck and Chinese sausage) and seafood (e.g. lobster and abalone) that are usually reserved for special occasions. The New Year’s Eve dinner is very large and sumptuous and traditionally includes dishes of meat (namely, pork and chicken) and fish. The venue will usually be in or near the home of the most senior member of the family. A reunion dinner is held on New Year’s Eve, during which family members gather for a celebration. In China and Malaysia, this day is celebrated by individuals seeking a romantic partner, akin to Valentine’s Day. In some overseas Chinese communities in Southeast Asia, such as Malaysia and Singapore, it is also the day when tossed raw fish salad, yusheng, is eaten for continued wealth and prosperity.
The villagers then understood that the Nian was afraid of the colour red and loud noises. The day after, the villagers came back to their town and saw that nothing had been destroyed. According to legend, Chinese New Year started with combating a mythical beast called the Nian (a beast that lives under the sea or in the mountains that looks like a lion with horns) during the annual Spring Festival.
Chinese New Year is a national public holiday in many Southeast Asian countries and is considered to be one of the most important holidays of the year. Before 1872, traditional events of the Japanese New Year were celebrated on the first day of the year of the modern Tenpō calendar, the last official lunisolar calendar. It is one of the most important traditional holidays for ethnic Koreans, being celebrated in both North Korea and South Korea as well as by the Korean diaspora all around the world. Since people needed to work on Chinese New Year’s Eve, they would not need holidays during the Spring Festival.
The monster was afraid of loud noises, bright lights, and the color red, so those things were used to chase the beast away. They probably predate the Ming dynasty (1368–1644), but did not become widespread until then. New Year couplets printed in gold letters on bright red paper, referred to as chunlian (春聯) or fai chun (揮春), are another way of expressing wishes for an auspicious new year. Chinese New Year is often accompanied by loud, enthusiastic greetings, often referred to as 吉祥話 (jíxiánghuà) in Mandarin or 吉利說話 (Kat Lei Seut Wa) in Cantonese, loosely translated as „auspicious words or phrases“. In Budapest, celebrations have been held since 2017 in the Kőbánya district with many parades and performances. 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.
Red envelopes
Suddenly, the doors and windows were blown open by a strange wind, and even the candlelight was extinguished. The fever would eventually cause the child to have intellectual disabilities. In the mid-2010s, Chinese messaging apps such as WeChat popularized the distribution of red envelopes in a virtual format via mobile payments, usually within group chats.
In ancient Chinese society, it was the only day when young girls were allowed to go out to admire the lanterns and meet boys. It marks the departure of winter and the beginning of the spring season. The highlight of the whole Spring Festival, the Lantern Festival happens on the 15th and final day (March 3 in 2026). Different communities in Asia will serve various “birthday” foods on that day. Day three of the Lunar New Year, which falls on February 19, is named chi kou/cek hau, or red mouth.
The Chinese lunar calendar operates on a 12-year zodiac cycle, with each year represented by an animal. Crisp, golden spring rolls mirror ancient gold bars, symbolizing wealth, and bright citrus fruits such as oranges and tangerines are shared because their round shape and color evoke fullness, success, and good luck. Sticky rice cakes called nian gao are commonly consumed, because their name means “high year,” implying steady progress and success in whatever one pursues. The last event held during the Chinese New Year is called the Lantern Festival, during which people hang glowing lanterns in temples or carry them during a nighttime parade. The holiday is sometimes called the Lunar New Year because the dates of celebration follow the phases of the moon.
On Chinese New Year day, it is customary for Sino-Mauritians to share niangao with their relatives and friends and to light firecrackers to ward off evil spirits. Ringospin Casino While the family dinner was traditionally celebrated at the house of the oldest family members, going to restaurants for New Year’s Eve is getting more popular; some restaurants may have special dinners to foster the family reunions of Sino-Mauritians. Mauritius is also the only country in Africa that lists the Chinese Spring Festival as a statutory public holiday. During the festival, the Chinese embassy in Islamabad arranges various cultural events in which Pakistani arts and cultural organizations and members of the civil society also participate. Observed by Thai Chinese and parts of the private sector, the festivities occur over three days, starting on the day before Chinese New Year’s Eve.
For other countries and regions where the Chinese New Year is celebrated but not as an official holiday, see the table below. In certain countries, a statutory holiday is added on the following workday if the New Year (as a public holiday) falls on a weekend. Chinese New Year is observed as a public holiday in some countries and territories, outside of China, with a sizable Chinese population. The poem Yuan Ri (元日) also includes the word bao zhu (爆竹, „exploding bamboo“), which is believed to be a reference to firecrackers,citation needed instead of the previous tradition of firing bamboo, both of which are called the same in the Chinese language. Amid the sound of firecrackers, a year has come to an end,The spring wind has wafted warm breath to the Tusu wine.While the rising sun shines over each and every household,People get rid of the old couplets and put up the new ones.