Chinese New Year 2026: Spring Festival
Festival guide · 2026
Chinese New Year — Spring Festival (春節, Chūnjié) — is the most important celebration in Chinese culture, falling on the first day of the first lunar month. It occurs between late January and mid-February. The 15-day celebrations end with the Lantern Festival.
Around 1.5 billion people celebrate the Lunar New Year in some form — including Vietnamese (Tết), Korean (Seollal), and Tibetan communities. Each year is governed by one of 12 zodiac animals in a repeating cycle.
Traditions & Observance
Reunion Dinner (年夜飯)
New Year's Eve dinner is the most important meal of the year, bringing extended families together. Traditional dishes include whole fish (surplus every year), dumplings shaped like gold ingots, glutinous rice cake (rising fortune), and spring rolls. Each dish carries symbolic meaning for the year ahead.
Red Envelopes (Hóngbāo)
Elders give red envelopes filled with money to children and unmarried adults as a symbol of good luck and prosperity. In mainland China, billions of digital red envelopes are sent via WeChat and Alipay each New Year. Red symbolises good fortune and wards off evil.
Firecrackers and Dragon Dances
Firecrackers drive away evil spirits and bad luck. Dragon and lion dances — performers bringing elaborate costumes to life — fill the streets of Chinese communities worldwide. In Singapore, Malaysia, and Indonesia, public performances draw enormous crowds.
House Cleaning and Decorations
Homes are thoroughly cleaned before New Year to sweep away bad luck. Doors are decorated with red couplets (duilian), paper cuttings, and lanterns. Fresh flowers — plum blossom, narcissus, and pussy willow — are displayed for good luck.
Other Years
Dates are based on the Chinese lunisolar calendar. Public holiday arrangements vary by country. Check official announcements for exact Golden Week schedules.