Lunar New Year

Lunar New Year, commonly called Chinese New Year or the Spring Festival, is Hong Kong’s most important traditional celebration. It begins on the first day of the first month of the Chinese lunar calendar; in 2026, Lunar New Year falls on 17 February and ushers in the Year of the Horse, specifically the Fire Horse in the traditional sexagenary cycle. The festival’s origins are connected with ancient agricultural rites, seasonal renewal, ancestor reverence, and legends about driving away the mythical beast Nian through noise, light, and the color red.

In Hong Kong, Lunar New Year developed through Cantonese customs, Chinese folk religion, family observances, and the city’s distinctive urban culture. The holiday is a time to welcome prosperity, longevity, health, and harmony while symbolically leaving behind misfortune from the previous year. It is also a major public holiday period, during which families reunite, businesses close or operate on reduced hours, and temples, markets, shopping districts, and public spaces take on a festive red-and-gold appearance.

Celebrations commonly begin before New Year’s Day with thorough house cleaning, the purchase of new clothes, and visits to Lunar New Year flower markets. Homes and businesses are decorated with auspicious flowers and plants such as peach blossoms, narcissus, chrysanthemums, kumquat trees, and pussy willows. Families prepare or exchange festive foods including turnip cake, water chestnut cake, glutinous rice cake, dumplings, sweet rice treats, and whole fish, whose symbolism is associated with abundance and prosperity. On New Year’s Eve, families traditionally gather for a reunion dinner, while many people visit temples to pray for good fortune; popular Hong Kong observances include visiting Wong Tai Sin Temple and taking part in the Che Kung Festival around the New Year period.

During the holiday, younger relatives traditionally receive lai see, or red packets containing money, from married adults and elders. People exchange auspicious greetings such as “恭喜發財” (Kung Hei Fat Choy, meaning “Wishing you prosperity”), “新年快樂” (San Nin Fai Lok, “Happy New Year”), and “身體健康” (San Tai Gin Hong, “Wishing you good health”). Lion dances, dragon dances, festive parades, temple visits, family gatherings, and public fireworks are prominent features of Hong Kong’s celebrations, although particular programs may vary from year to year. Traditional taboos include avoiding arguments, negative language, sweeping the floor, or breaking objects on the first day, since these actions are believed to risk sweeping away or damaging the year’s good fortune.