On 17 February 2026, more than 1.5 billion people around the world welcomed the Chinese New Year. The two-week holiday follows the lunar calendar and is a major time for families to look back on the past year and prepare for a fresh start.
Festivities begin the night before, on 16 February, with a reunion dinner that many families see as the most important meal of the year. Foods are chosen for their meanings, like a whole chicken for family unity and long, uncut noodles for a long life. Dumplings and spring rolls are popular because they look like gold bars and are thought to bring wealth and prosperity.
During the holiday, children and young adults often receive red envelopes of money from older relatives, called hongbao. These gifts are meant as a blessing for health, happiness, and success in the new year.
The celebrations end on 3 March 2026 with the Lantern Festival, when red lanterns decorate homes and streets. Communities gather for performances and parades where teams guide a colourful dragon through crowds using long poles. Many people see the dragon’s twisting movements as a symbol of strength and good luck.
Lunar New Year is also celebrated across Southeast Asia with local traditions. In South Korea, the holiday is called Seollal, and families honour ancestors and share dishes such as rice cake soup. In Vietnam, Tết often includes flowers, cleaned family altars, and special meals.
Each year is linked to one of twelve zodiac animals, said in legend to have been chosen after a race across a river. The year 2026 is the Year of the Horse. People born in Horse years like 1966, 1978, 1990, 2002, and 2014 are often described as confident, social, and active.
