A day-by-day guide on customs, foods, and superstitions for Lunar New Year
GOOD luck charms are being sold in Chinatown, Binondo, Manila, as part of the revelry for the Lunar New Year on the eve of Monday, 16 February. Based on the Chinese Zodiac, 2026 is the Year of the Fire Horse, which is characterized as confident, agreeable and responsible, while bringing intense energy, passion, freedom and rapid change.
Chinese New Year, also called the Spring Festival, is a 15‑day celebration that begins on the first day of the lunar calendar and ends with the Lantern Festival. In 2026, the festival falls on Tuesday, 17 February 2026, ushering in the Year of the Horse according to the Chinese zodiac, and ends with the Lantern Festival on 02 March 2026
Traditions and customs vary across regions and diaspora communities, but the overall purpose remains constant: to strengthen family bonds, invite prosperity, ward off evil spirits, and mark the start of a new lunar year.
Families open doors at midnight to invite good fortune and set off firecrackers to scare away the mythical beast Nian. People wear new clothes, greet each other with phrases such as “Xin Nian Kuai Le” (Happy New Year) or “Gong Xi Fa Cai” (Wishing you prosperity), and avoid cleaning to prevent sweeping away luck. Red envelopes (hongbao) are exchanged, usually with children.
Families honor celestial deities with fruit, incense, and roasted pig. Married daughters traditionally visit their parents’ homes for reunion meals, reinforcing filial piety. Temple visits are common.
Considered inauspicious for visiting relatives, people stay home, rest, or visit temples. Some communities burn fake money to appease wandering spirits.
The Kitchen God returns from heaven to report on household deeds. Families prepare sweet offerings like glutinous rice cakes to ensure his favor. Businesses may resume operations with rituals to attract wealth.
Trash collected in the first days is discarded to symbolically remove misfortune. Firecrackers are lit to awaken the God of Wealth, and dumplings shaped like ancient silver ingots are eaten in northern China.
Markets reopen, transportation returns to normal, and some businesses hold ceremonies to bless employees and inventory. Street parades may begin in tourist-heavy cities.
Believed to be the day humans were created, families eat seven-vegetable soup (qiqi congee) or longevity noodles for health and longevity. Hong Kong and Macau recognize it as a public holiday, often celebrated with flower markets.
Families gather for feasts and temple visits. Buddhists may chant sutras for blessings in the new year.
Especially observed in Fujian and Taiwan, devotees set up altars with offerings and pray before dawn. Temples host large-scale ceremonies, and incense smoke fills the air.
People continue extended family visits, attend local fairs, and take trips. Children enjoy red envelopes saved from earlier days, while elders share zodiac-related stories.
Families make or purchase lanterns, and children practice riddles to be used during the Lantern Festival. Some regions light small lanterns in courtyards.
Families cook tangyuan (sweet glutinous rice balls) and artisans finalize lantern displays. Lion and dragon dance rehearsals occur in villages ahead of the finale.
Cities host lantern displays with millions of lights. People solve riddles attached to lanterns, eat tangyuan, and watch performances. Historically, unmarried women could mingle, making the day a social highlight.
Before the festival begins, families engage in thorough house cleaning to sweep away bad luck and decorate with red lanterns, paper cuttings, and auspicious couplets. Mandarin oranges are shared as symbols of prosperity.
Traditional foods linked to good fortune include dumplings for wealth, whole fish for abundance, prawns for happiness, niangao (glutinous rice cake) for success, and noodles for longevity. Vegetables and fruits with auspicious‑sounding names also feature prominently.
Red envelopes are given to children, unmarried relatives, friends, and employees. The color red signifies good luck and protection. Monetary amounts often include lucky numbers such as 6, 8, or 9, and avoid unlucky numbers like 4 and 5. Hongbao are presented and accepted respectfully with both hands; checking the amount in front of the giver is considered impolite.
Common taboos during Chinese New Year include avoiding sweeping or taking out trash on New Year’s Day, refraining from washing hair on the first day to avoid “washing away” luck, and avoiding the use of knives or scissors. Breaking dishes is considered bad luck unless the pieces are wrapped in red paper to symbolically keep fortune intact. Avoidance of unlucky words related to death or poverty is observed in some communities.
Northern China emphasizes dumplings, while southern China prefers niangao and temple rituals. Overseas celebrations, such as those in Singapore, Malaysia, San Francisco, and New York, incorporate local influences and may include large parades, multicultural elements, and community fairs.
