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.
All you need to know about the Chinese Year of the Dragon
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 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!
In northern China, people traditionally eat dumplings and noodles, while in the south, Nian Gao (sticky rice cake) is a must-have, symbolizing rising fortunes. Wearing new red clothes on New Year’s Day symbolizes a fresh start and invites good luck. New clothes, especially for children, add excitement to the holiday. To protect themselves from the bad luck of their Ben Ming Nian, those born in the Year of the Horse are encouraged to wear red throughout 2026. In 2026, the cycle brings us to the Horse, the seventh animal in the zodiac order. Festivities include red decorations, elaborate meals, thorough cleaning of homes, and visiting family.
On the sixth day, known as Horse’s Day, people drive away the Ghost of Poverty by discarding the garbage accumulated during the festival. In other regions with a longer Chinese New Year holiday, celebrations include welcoming back the gods who were previously sent off on this day. In communities that celebrate Chinese New Year for 15 days, the fourth day marks the beginning of corporate «spring dinners» and the return to normal business operations.
The parade is attended by some 500,000 people, along with another 3 million TV viewers. They invited a variety of other groups from the city to participate, and they marched down what today are Grant Avenue and Kearny Street, carrying colourful flags, banners, lanterns, drums, and firecrackers to drive away evil spirits. In 1849, with the discovery of gold and the ensuing California Gold Rush, over 50,000 people came to San Francisco to seek their fortune or just a better way of life. The festival incorporates Grant and Kearny Streets into its street festival and parade route, respectively. The San Francisco Chinese New Year Festival and Parade is the oldest and one of the largest events of its kind outside of Asia, and one of the largest Asian cultural events in North America. Many communities throughout all of California celebrate with large celebrations taking place in both the San Francisco Bay Area and Greater Los Angeles, as well as in Fresno, Sacramento, San Diego, Santa Rosa, and Stockton.
How to Say Happy New Year in Chinese?
- During Chinese New Year, people will set off firecrackers on New Year’s Eve and the first day of the first lunar month.
- Sticky rice cakes called nian gao are commonly consumed, because their name means “high year,” implying steady progress and success in whatever one pursues.
- It is believed that the cleaning sweeps away the bad luck of the preceding year and prepares homes for good luck.
- In the Chinese tradition, a person’s birth year—rather than their birth month—is considered key to understanding character and fortune.
- 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.
- 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.
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.
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.
Chinese New Year
- The Chunlian (Spring Couplets) was written by Meng Chang, an emperor of the Later Shu (935–965 AD), during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period：»新年納餘慶，嘉節號長春» («Enjoying past legacies in the new year, the holiday foreseeing the long-lasting spring»).
- However, this was not the Mid-Autumn Festival, during which the Chinese gathered with family to worship the Moon.
- The festival in Sydney is organized in partnership with a different Chinese province each year.
- Day three of the Lunar New Year, which falls on February 19, is named chi kou/cek hau, or red mouth.
- 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.
- Keep in mind that different regions and minorities may celebrate the days on different dates, or have different names or practices for certain days.
Rescued by humans, the horse later repaid their kindness by assisting in agriculture and warfare, earning distinction and ultimately being chosen as one of the twelve zodiac animals. The pairing of the twelve Earthly Branches with twelve symbolic animals created the well-known zodiac cycle that continues to influence cultural life today. Known as Yuan Xiao Jie in Chinese, this festival is famous for its Yuan Xiao (sweet rice balls), whose round shape symbolizes family unity and togetherness. The Lunar New Year celebrations conclude with the Lantern Festival, falling on March 3rd, 2026, which marks the first full moon of the lunar year. The third day of the new year, February 19th, 2026, is traditionally a day for visiting temples. Nowadays, unfortunately, the focus has shifted more toward the amount rather than the goodwill it represents.
Festivities outside China
However, for signs like the Pig and Monkey, 2026 could pose some challenges. If you’re unsure of your zodiac sign, you can easily find it with an online zodiac calculator (or using the one below). Each zodiac sign has a unique relationship with the Year of the Horse. Though their zodiac year may bring challenges, these obstacles often lead to greater wisdom and personal growth for Horses. Red underwear, socks, or accessories are believed to ward off misfortune and invite blessings. In the zodiac, they thrive in lively settings and are often seen as natural leaders and motivators.
According to legend, due to arrogance and misbehaviour, the horse’s wings were cut off and it was banished beneath Mount Kunlun. One popular narrative tells of the celestial horse, originally the Jade Emperor’s imperial steed. Beyond cosmological explanations, rich folk legends also recount the origin of the zodiac animals.
We’ve mentioned a lot about the colour red in the celebrations and what it symbolises. The colour red is believed to bring positivity and happiness and also ward off evil spirits. The red envelopes are a token of good fortune and symbolise good luck. Another long‑standing tradition is passing red envelopes, known as Hóngbāo, to friends and family.
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.
Word of the emperor’s gesture spread, and later it became the custom of people in general, who used Xuan paper instead of gold leaves. The poem describes people cleaning millet stacks, offering mijiu (rice Ringospin Casino wine) to guests, slaughtering lambs, visiting their master’s home, toasting him, and expressing wishes for longevity together. Before the new year celebration was established, ancient Chinese gathered and celebrated the end of the harvest in autumn.
There is a circle of 12 animals, including the rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, goat, monkey, rooster, dog, and pig. While the date varies each year in the Gregorian calendar, the Lunar New Year always occurs between January 21 and February 20. This festival is known as the Spring Festival in China, Tet in Vietnam, and Seollal in Korea. Most of the world organises time through a solar year, in which time is measured by Earth’s revolution around the sun. 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. Today (February 17) marks Lunar New Year.
Traditional foods include carp for long life, whole fish for abundance, dumplings and spring rolls for wealth, long noodles for longevity, sticky rice cakes for success, and citrus fruits for good luck. On the first day of the New Year, sweeping or cleaning is avoided as it is believed to brush away good fortune. In 2026 the Chinese New Year marks the Year of the Horse, according to the Chinese zodiac calendar. These greetings or phrases may also be used just before children receive their red packets, when gifts are exchanged, when visiting temples, or even when tossing the shredded ingredients of yusheng, particularly popular in Malaysia and Singapore. For example, as breaking objects during the new year is considered inauspicious, one may then say 歲歲平安 (Suìsuì-píng’ān) immediately, which means «everlasting peace year after year».
The remaining 14 days are usually only celebrated by ethnic Chinese families. In Indonesia, the first day of the Chinese New Year is recognized as a national holiday. In Singapore, Chinese New Year is officially a two-day public holiday and is accompanied by various festive activities. George Town, a Chinese-majority city, is known for its lively Chinese New Year celebrations that last until the Lantern Festival on the fifteenth day. Chinese New Year’s Eve is typically a half-day holiday in Malaysia, while Chinese New Year is a two-day public holiday.
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.
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