All you need to know about the Chinese Year Of The Red Horse

In the Classic of Poetry, a poem written during the Western Zhou period (1046 BC – 771 BC) by an anonymous farmer, described the traditions of celebrating the 10th month of the ancient solar calendar, which was in autumn. An older man appeared before the villagers went into hiding and said that he would stay the night and would get revenge on the Nian. In more than 96 percent of years, the Chinese New Year is the closest new moon to the beginning of spring (lichun) according to the calendar. However, "Chinese New Year" is still a commonly used translation for people of non-Chinese backgrounds. Chinese New Year, also known as the Spring Festival, marks the beginning of a new year on the traditional lunisolar Chinese calendar. 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. It is one of the representatives of traditional Chinese snacks and is a spherical food made of glutinous rice flour. Eating dumplings is a unique way to express people’s wishes for blessings and good fortune during the end of the old year and the beginning of new year. Lantern Festival is famous for its Yuan Xiao (sweet rice balls), whose round shape symbolizes family unity and togetherness. It is best to choose bright, colorful, and warm Chinese New Year clothes, especially red clothes, because red symbolizes auspiciousness and festivity. It embodies the affection and nostalgia of more than one billion Chinese people.

On this day, people light lanterns to symbolize driving out darkness and bringing hope to the coming year.
When it comes to traditional Chinese foods, different food represents different things.
Signed into law in 2022 and effective in 2023, California declared the Lunar New Year a state government holiday.
For New Year celebrations that follow Chinese-inspired calendars but are outside of China and the Chinese diaspora (such as Korea's Seollal and Vietnam's Tết), see the article on Lunar New Year.
Chinese New Year is not just one day but over 30 days of festivities and activities, which have their own calendar.
In ancient China, there was a monster called “Nian”, which had long antennae on its head and was extremely fierce.
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.

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.

Year of the Rabbit: all you need to know about the Chinese Zodiac

However, in 1873, five years after the Meiji Restoration, Japan adopted the Gregorian calendar, and the first day of January became the official and cultural New Year's Day in Japan. During the New Year holidays, stage bosses gather the most popular actors from various troupes and let them perform repertories from the Qing dynasty. In 2017, it was estimated that over 100 billion of these virtual red envelopes would be sent over the New Year holiday. Many families in China still follow the tradition of eating only vegetarian food on the first day of the new year, as it is believed that doing so will bring good luck into their lives for the whole year. Legends hold that the Hokkien were spared from a massacre by Japanese pirates by hiding in a sugarcane plantation, between the eighth and ninth days of the Chinese New Year, coinciding with the Jade Emperor's birthday. The seventh day, traditionally known as Renri (the common person's birthday), is the day when everyone grows one year older. 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. Nowadays, the Spring Festival is seen more as a crucial moment for family reunion and cultural inheritance. Chinese New Year (also called Spring Festival or Lunar New Year) is the most popular holiday in China and Chinese communities around the world. According to the traditional Chinese lunar calendar, years were historically designated through a combination of the Ten Heavenly Stems and the Twelve Earthly Branches. Another family dinner is held to celebrate the eve of the birth of the Jade Emperor, the ruler of heaven. 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. In China, it is also common that on the 5th day people will shoot off firecrackers to get Guan Yu's attention, thus ensuring his favour and good fortune for the new year. During this period, red packets are also known as yasuiqian (壓歲錢; 压岁钱; yāsuìqián), which evolved from a homophonous phrase yasuiqian (壓祟錢; 压祟钱; yāsuìqián), literally meaning "money to suppress evil spirits". Like many other New Year dishes, certain ingredients that have names that relate to long life, prosperity, or wealth also take precedence over others. Several of the Chinese food names are homophones for words that also mean good things. Transportation during Chinese New Year, abbreviated as “Spring Festival travel rush”, is divided by the Spring Festival, with 15 days before the festival and 25 days after, for a total of 40 days. The fifth day of the first lunar month, according to Chinese folk customs, is the birthday of the five Gods of Wealth. Ancestral worshiping usually takes place on the last day of the 12th lunar month, and varies in different regions due to different traditions. On the 24th day of the 12th lunar month, there is a custom of sweeping dust (aka sweeping houses).

Things You Didn’t Know About Chinese New Year

And this time of year, families can be seen enjoying the likes of fish, which represents fortune, as well as dumplings that symbolise wealth and glutinous rice balls, marking family reunion. When it comes to traditional Chinese foods, different food represents different things. There are so many dishes famous and loved around the world and when it comes to Lunar New Year, a number of them are at the centre of the celebrations. Throughout the celebrations, families and loved ones reunite to partake in traditions and share wishes of health and prosperity for the upcoming year. The animals and performances are believed to bring good fortune.

When is Chinese New Year 2026/2027? - February 17 for 2026, February 6 for 2027

To protect themselves, they hung red Ringospin Casino decorations and lit firecrackers to scare the monster away. One year, the villagers discovered that Nian feared the color red and loud noises. This festival is celebrated worldwide, particularly in Asian countries like China. In 2026, Lunar New Year falls on February 17th, kicking off the 16-day Spring Festival. Celebrated by millions around the world, this is a time for cultural traditions, family reunions, and hopes for good fortune in the coming year. Therefore, on New Year’s Eve, people fled to the deep mountains to avoid the harm of the Nian monster. In ancient China, there was a monster called “Nian”, which had long antennae on its head and was extremely fierce. The Spring Festival of 2026 will arrive on February 17th of the Gregorian calendar. The Spring Festival falls on the first day of the Chinese Lunar New Year, marking the beginning of a new year. It originated from the ritual activities of praying for good years at the beginning of each lunar year during the ancient Shang Dynasty period.

An older man appeared before the villagers went into hiding and said that he would stay the night and would get revenge on the Nian.
Since the dragon is a Chinese symbol of good fortune, a dragon dance highlights festival celebrations in many areas.
The connection between zodiac animals and Earthly Branches reflects the ancient Chinese understanding of natural order.
According to the traditional legend of The Great Race, it was the Jade Emperor who organised a race which saw the 12 species take part.
Neighboring Alhambra has also hosted a large festival since 1993 with many performances and street vendors.
It is customary for gifts to be wrapped in red or golden paper, symbolizing good luck.

Southeast Asia

In the Gregorian calendar, Chinese New Year occurs on the new moon that falls between 21 January and 20 February. Korea, Vietnam, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, and the Philippines celebrate it as an official festival. Other activities include lighting firecrackers and giving money in red envelopes. Windows and doors may be decorated with red paper-cuts and couplets representing themes such as good fortune, happiness, wealth, and longevity. From RTÉ Radio 1's Morning Ireland in 2021, everything you need to know about the Chinese New Year The zodiac system is deeply rooted in Chinese cosmology and reflects a sophisticated understanding of astronomy, philosophy, and the rhythms of nature. Discover the 12 Chinese zodiac signs, their personality traits, and compatibility. Each country has its own traditions, but the core values remain the same—family, food, and hopes for a prosperous year ahead. This is why fireworks and firecrackers are a huge part of the celebrations that take place across the globe. Another is wearing red in some form to ward off evil spirits. But the animals in the zodiac can slightly differ in other countries, like the Boar replacing the Pig in the zodiac in Japan and the dragon being substituted for a mythical creature, known as Naga, in Thailand. All animals were invited, but as a reward, the 12 who arrived and took part had a year named after them in the zodiac, with the race determining in which order the animals would be placed. According to the traditional legend of The Great Race, it was the Jade Emperor who organised a race which saw the 12 species take part. 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. 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. The elders usually hope their kids will be healthy, happy and make progress in the coming year, so they will give red envelopes to them to pass blessings and good luck. Because in Chinese culture, red is the symbol of auspiciousness, joy and prosperity and it can drive out evil spirits and bring good lucks. There are too many people on the way, so the transportation department needs to make every effort to ensure that passengers can go home and come back safely. The reason is that China has a large population, and Chinese New Year is a traditional reunion festival. The festival food in south China is called Yuan Xiao or rice sweet dumpling. Eating rice cake during the Spring Festival symbolizes good luck, sweet life, and high prosperity every year. 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. From ABC News (Australia), The Year of the Horse explained and how people across Asia celebrate the Lunar New Year The Horse, aligned with peak Yang energy at noon, embodies strength and outward expansion; yet even at this height of energy, balance remains essential. The black (Yin) and white (Yang) halves flow into one another, each containing a dot of its opposite, symbolizing the principle that within every extreme lies the seed of transformation.