Festival · 节日
Lunar New Year (春节)
The reunion dinner, red envelopes, and the long breath of the year.
Lunar New Year (春节, Chūnjié) — also called Chinese New Year and the Spring Festival — is the most important holiday in the Chinese calendar. It begins on the first day of the lunar year and runs 15 days, ending with the Lantern Festival. Family reunions, red envelopes (红包), firecrackers, and the symbolic sweep-clean of the old year frame the holiday across the Chinese diaspora and East Asia more broadly.
When does Lunar New Year fall?
- 2026 — Tuesday, February 17, 2026 (2026年2月17日)
- 2027 — Saturday, February 6, 2027 (2027年2月6日)
- 2028 — Wednesday, January 26, 2028 (2028年1月26日)
Traditions
Reunion dinner (年夜饭)
On New Year's Eve, families gather for a multi-course feast. Fish (鱼) is essential — its name puns with "abundance" (余).
Red envelopes (红包)
Elders give cash gifts in red paper envelopes to children and unmarried adults. Even amounts (except for those starting with 4, which sounds like "death") are auspicious.
Spring couplets (春联)
Pairs of red paper strips with auspicious calligraphy are pasted on either side of the front door, with a third "horizontal scroll" above.
Firecrackers (鞭炮)
Lit at midnight to chase away the mythical Nian (年) beast and bad fortune.
New clothes (新衣)
Wearing red or new garments on day 1 invites good luck for the coming year.
Common questions
When is Lunar New Year 2026?
Lunar New Year 2026 falls on Tuesday, February 17, 2026 — the first day of the lunar year of 丙午 (the Fire Horse).
How long does Lunar New Year last?
Officially 15 days, from lunar 1/1 (New Year's Day) to lunar 1/15 (Lantern Festival). In China, the public holiday is 7 days; many businesses close for 2 weeks.
What's the difference between Lunar New Year and Chinese New Year?
They're the same holiday. "Lunar New Year" is the more inclusive term used by Korean, Vietnamese, and other East Asian communities who celebrate the same lunar date with their own traditions (Seollal in Korean, Tết in Vietnamese).
Why are red envelopes (红包) traditionally given?
The red color symbolizes good luck and warding off evil spirits. The cash inside is called 压岁钱 ("money to suppress the year"), originally believed to protect children from a demon called Sui (祟).