Chinese New Year (Spring Festival)

Chinese New Year, officially known in China as the Spring Festival (春节, Chūnjié), is the most important traditional holiday in the Chinese calendar. Its date follows the lunisolar calendar and falls between late January and mid-February in the Gregorian calendar; in 2026, Chinese New Year begins on February 17, with New Year’s Eve on February 16. The festival traditionally marks the end of winter and the arrival of spring, while also welcoming good fortune, health, prosperity, and family unity.

The holiday developed from ancient agricultural rituals, seasonal ceremonies, and customs intended to honor ancestors and seek protection from harmful forces. One popular legend connects the celebrations with the mythical beast Nian, which was said to fear loud noises, fire, and the color red. Over centuries, imperial court observances, regional practices, and modern public holidays shaped the Spring Festival into a nationwide celebration. Today, the official holiday period often lasts several days, while the broader festive season extends from the preparations before New Year’s Eve through the Lantern Festival on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month.

In 2026, the festival begins the Year of the Horse, specifically the Fire Horse in the traditional sexagenary cycle. The Horse is associated with energy, independence, vitality, and forward movement. Chinese New Year is celebrated throughout mainland China and by Chinese communities worldwide, although customs vary among regions, ethnic groups, and families.

Preparations commonly include thoroughly cleaning the home before New Year’s Day, decorating doors and windows with red paper cuttings, couplets, lanterns, and the character 福 (fú), meaning good fortune. Families often reunite for an elaborate New Year’s Eve dinner, one of the most important meals of the year. Typical dishes include fish, whose name sounds like “surplus,” dumplings symbolizing wealth, niangao rice cake representing progress or rising success, spring rolls, longevity noodles, and regional specialties. Fish is traditionally served whole, and families may leave some food uneaten to express hopes for abundance in the coming year.

During the holiday, people visit relatives and friends, honor ancestors, exchange red envelopes (红包, hóngbāo) containing money, and offer New Year blessings. Children and younger family members commonly receive red envelopes from elders, while digital red envelopes have become popular alongside the traditional paper versions. Lion dances, dragon dances, fireworks, temple fairs, lantern displays, and televised variety programs are widely associated with the festival, although fireworks restrictions apply in some cities. Many people travel across the country for family reunions during the Spring Festival travel period, one of the world’s largest annual migrations.

Common greetings include 新年快乐 (Xīnnián kuàilè), meaning “Happy New Year,” and 恭喜发财 (Gōngxǐ fācái), meaning “Wishing you happiness and prosperity.” Other auspicious expressions include 身体健康 (Shēntǐ jiànkāng), “good health,” and 万事如意 (Wànshì rúyì), “may everything go as you wish.” Customs considered inauspicious during the first days include arguing, breaking objects, using unlucky words, and sweeping or taking out rubbish immediately after New Year’s Day, since this may symbolically remove good fortune.