Chinese New Year Summary, History, Traditions, Zodiac, & Facts
Chinese New Year, annual 15-day festival in China and Chinese communities around the world that begins with the new moon occurring sometime between January 21 and February 20, according to Western calendars. In Paris, since the 1980s, month-long celebrations have been held in several districts with many performances. Signed into law in 2022 and effective in 2023, California declared the Lunar New Year a state government holiday. In 1928, the ruling Kuomintang party decreed that Chinese New Year would fall on 1 January of the Gregorian calendar, but this was abandoned due to overwhelming opposition. In the chapter, "Ending of a Year" (歲除) in Wulin jiushi (武林舊事), concubines of the emperor prepared a hundred and twenty coins for princes and princesses to wish them longevity. It was also during the Song dynasty that people started to give money to children in celebration of a new year. Both bao zhu (爆竹) and bian pao (鞭炮) are still used today to celebrate the Chinese New Year and other festive occasions. In the South, it is customary to make a glutinous new year cake (niangao) and send pieces of it as gifts to relatives and friends in the coming days. For those who practice Buddhism, the Laba holiday is also considered Bodhi Day. 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.
Concluding on the Lantern Festival (元宵节)
The first three days are filled with tributes to ancestors, festive games and foods such as rice cakes (tteokguk) and pancakes (jeon). In South Korea, for instance, the Lunar New Year festival is called Seollal. It’s believed these envelopes — known as hongbao/lai see — can protect children by warding off evil spirits, called sui. In many families, married people are expected to give out red packets filled with money to those who haven’t yet tied the knot — both children and unmarried juniors. For many followers, the Lunar New Year is an ideal time to visit a temple to make blessings depending on what the stars have to say about their particular zodiac sign for the coming months.- It is best to choose bright, colorful, and warm Chinese New Year clothes, especially red clothes, because red symbolizes auspiciousness and festivity.
- In ancient Chinese society, it was the only day when young girls were allowed to go out to admire the lanterns and meet boys.
- One of the key celebrations is the Chinese New Year parade with floats and fireworks taking place along the streets in Chinatown, Manhattan, the largest Chinese New Year parade outside Asia.
- It is a traditional custom that has a great influence and is widely spread among Chinese people.
- Crisp, golden spring rolls mirror ancient gold bars, symbolizing wealth, and bright citrus fruits such as oranges and tangerines are shared because their round shape and color evoke fullness, success, and good luck.
- According to legend, Chinese New Year started with combating a mythical beast called the Nian (a beast that lives under the sea or in the mountains that looks like a lion with horns) during the annual Spring Festival.
- The Lunar New Year in 2026 welcomes the Year of the Horse, according to the Chinese lunar calendar.
Events
The wearing of new clothes is another clothing custom during the festival; the new clothes symbolize a new beginning. The burning of firecrackers also signifies a joyful time of year and has become an integral aspect of Chinese New Year celebrations. Once ignited, the firecracker lets out a loud popping noise and, as they are usually strung together by the hundreds, the firecrackers are known for their deafening explosions that are thought to scare away evil spirits. Each firecracker is rolled up in red paper, as red is auspicious, with gunpowder in its core. At the heart of Lunar New Year celebrations is the reunion dinner on Lunar New Year’s Eve, which falls on February 16th, 2026. Red is the dominant color for decorations, which include red lanterns, paper cuttings, Spring Festival couplets, and strings of chili peppers. The phrase Guo Nian, meaning “celebrating the new year” in Chinese, evokes warm feelings of family reunions.About China Xian Tour
It is also recorded that people linked the firecrackers with hemp rope and created the bian pao (鞭炮, "gunpowder whip") in the Song dynasty. The firecracker was still called bao zhu (爆竹), thus equating the new and old traditions. Later, under the Song, people discarded the bamboo and started to use paper to wrap the gunpowder in cylinders, in imitation of the bamboo. After gunpowder was invented in the Tang dynasty and widely used under the Song dynasty, people modified the tradition of firing bamboo by filling the bamboo pole with gunpowder, which made for louder explosions. As imperial examinations became essential and reached their heyday under the Tang dynasty, candidates curried favour to become pupils of respected teachers and to get recommendation letters. Another theory is that bai nian tie was derived from the Han dynasty's name tag, men zhuang (門狀, "door opening").Who was the Monster Nian?
The day before Chinese New Year is usually accompanied by a dinner feast, consisting of special meats as a main course and an offering for the New Year. Families often offer sweet foods (such as candy) to "bribe" the deities into reporting good things about the family. This is done so that the Kitchen God can report to the Jade Emperor of the family household's transgressions and good deeds. It is still served as a special breakfast on this day in some Chinese homes. Every member of the family was then served a bowl, with leftovers distributed to relatives and friends. Pickles such as Laba garlic, which turns green from vinegar, are made on this day. Some companies and public institutions enjoy a longer holiday up to 10 days or more, because in common knowledge among Chinese people, the festival lasts longer, from the Lunar New Year's Eve to the 15th day of the first lunar month (Lantern Festival). The legal holiday is seven days long, from the Lunar New Year's Eve to the sixth day of the first lunar month. One is that you shouldn’t clean at the start of the holiday, as it is believed you could remove any fortune or luck that you have at home from the new lunar cycle. On the first day of the first lunar month, people wear new clothes, symbolizing the departure of the old and the arrival of the new, the removal of bad luck, and the blessing of good health and good fortune for the coming year. The Chinese lunar calendar operates on a 12-year zodiac cycle, with each year represented by an animal. Crisp, golden spring rolls mirror ancient gold bars, symbolizing wealth, and bright citrus fruits such as oranges and tangerines are shared because their round shape and color evoke fullness, success, and good luck. Sticky rice cakes called nian gao are commonly consumed, because their name means “high year,” implying steady progress and success in whatever one pursues. The last event held during the Chinese New Year is called the Lantern Festival, during which people hang glowing lanterns in temples or carry them during a nighttime parade. The holiday is sometimes called the Lunar New Year because the dates of celebration follow the phases of the moon. The dates change every year because the festival is based on the Chinese Lunar Calendar. Get the latest stories delivered straight to your inbox. President Trump has warned of severe consequences if no nuclear deal is reached, while Iran demands sanctions relief as part of any agreement. US and Iranian officials are meeting in Geneva for a second round of talks on Tehran's nuclear program, mediated by Oman, amid rising tensions and military drills. The previous zodiac year, from January 29, 2025, to February 16, 2026, was the Year of the Wood Snake, representing a time to shed old habits, reassess what works, and trust inner wisdom.- 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.
- Korea, Vietnam, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, and the Philippines celebrate it as an official festival.
- 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.
- Bags are stocked with presents and fruits to give out at people’s homes.
- In Paris, since the 1980s, month-long celebrations have been held in several districts with many performances.
- As the calendar follows the moon’s phases, the holiday falls on different dates each year, usually between late January and mid-February.