A 2026 information to Lunar New Year

Grab your saddle and put in your using boots — it’s time to stampede into the Year of the Horse. Lunar New Year, broadly thought of a very powerful occasion of the 12 months in China and Chinese communities across the planet, is almost right here.

Marking the primary new moon of the lunar calendar, it falls on February 17 in 2026, kicking off the 15-day Spring Festival. Celebrations range relying on the nation or area, however there are just a few frequent traditions.

Whether you’re unfamiliar with the event or want a refresher, this information to ushering within the Year of the Horse has you coated.

Incredibly complicated, the Chinese zodiac calendar is finest described as a 12-year cycle represented by 12 animals, on this order: Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog and Pig.

Your private zodiac animal signal is decided by your year of birth, that means 2026 will welcome loads of child Horses. Children born within the final lunar calendar 12 months have been Snakes, whereas these born on or after the Lunar New Year in 2027 will probably be Goats, and so forth.

And yearly, a heavenly stem (certainly one of 5 parts, which fall into the yin or yang class) is paired with an earthly department (one of many 12 Chinese zodiac animals). This 12 months, the heavenly stem is “Bing” (huge solar) and the earthly department is “Wu” (the Horse), making it the Year of the Fire Horse.

Followers imagine that for every Chinese zodiac signal, luck will rely largely on the positions of the Tai Sui — a collective title for the stellar deities thought to rotate parallel to and in the other way of Jupiter.

Geomancy masters might interpret the info in another way, however there may be often a consensus on what the 12 months means for every zodiac animal primarily based on the positions of the celebrities.

For many followers, the Lunar New Year is a perfect time to go to a temple to make blessings relying on what the celebrities should say about their explicit zodiac signal for the approaching months.

Why gentle firecrackers and put on pink? Meet Nian

There are numerous folktales hooked up to Lunar New Year, however the delusion of Nian stands out as probably the most enjoyable.

According to the legend, each Lunar New Year’s Eve this ferocious underwater beast with sharp enamel and horns would crawl onto the land and assault a close-by village.

On one such event, because the villagers rushed into hiding, a mysterious outdated man confirmed up and insisted on sticking round regardless of warnings of impending doom.

To the villagers’ shock, the outdated man and the village survived completely unscathed.

The man claimed to have scared Nian away by hanging pink banners on his door, lighting firecrackers and donning pink clothes.

This is why carrying the fiery colour, together with hanging banners and lighting firecrackers or fireworks, are Lunar New Year traditions, all of that are nonetheless adopted right now.

Like many main holidays, Lunar New Year will be plenty of work. Festivities usually final for 15 days — typically much more — with completely different duties and actions happening over that interval.

It all begins a couple of week forward of the brand new 12 months.

To kick issues off, festive truffles and puddings are made on the twenty fourth day of the final lunar month (February 11 in 2026). Why? The phrase for truffles and puddings is gao in Mandarin and gou in Cantonese, which sound the identical because the phrase for “tall.”

That means consuming these treats is believed to result in enhancements and progress within the coming 12 months. (If you haven’t ready your personal “gou” but, right here’s a simple recipe for radish cake, a beloved Lunar New Year dish.)

And don’t overlook about our pal Nian. No Lunar New Year preparation could be full with out the hanging of pink banners bearing auspicious phrases and idioms (referred to as fai chun in Cantonese and chunlian in Mandarin) at residence — starting with one’s entrance door.

These will carry out double obligation — maintain Nian away and invite success.

Some of the prep work isn’t fairly as pleasant. Many imagine {that a} huge cleanup ought to happen at residence on the twenty eighth day of the final lunar month, which falls on February 15 this 12 months.

The intention is to rid your own home of any dangerous luck that’s accrued over the previous 12 months. Some believers gained’t even sweep or take out the trash for the primary 5 days of the brand new 12 months, fearing they’ll wash away all that recent good luck.

On a associated be aware, many say you shouldn’t wash or reduce your hair on the primary day of the brand new 12 months both.

Why? Because the Chinese character for the phrase hair is the primary character within the phrase for prosper. So washing or slicing it off is seen as washing your fortune away.

(Read extra Lunar New Year do’s and don’ts right here.)

A giant household reunion dinner is often held on Lunar New Year’s Eve, which falls on February 16 this 12 months.

The menu is fastidiously chosen to incorporate dishes related to luck, together with fish (the Chinese phrase for it additionally seems like “surplus”), puddings (symbolizes development) and meals that seem like gold ingots (similar to dumplings).

In China, the meals served at these traditional dinners range relying on the area. For occasion, in some northern areas folks are likely to serve dumplings and noodles, whereas the south can’t dwell with out steamed rice.

Lunar New Year feasts might look very completely different outdoors of China. In Malaysia and Singapore, gatherings aren’t full with out a loud and chaotic “prosperity toss,” or yusheng, when diners stir and toss thinly sliced greens and uncooked fish with chopsticks earlier than a meal.

Lunar New Year’s Day: Family visits and pink packets

The first few days of the Lunar New Year, particularly the primary two days, are sometimes a take a look at of 1’s stamina, urge for food and social expertise, as many individuals should journey and go to rapid household, different family and associates.

Bags are stocked with presents and fruits to present out at folks’s houses. Visitors will probably be showered with presents after catching up over Lunar New Year treats.

In many households, married individuals are anticipated to present out pink packets stuffed with cash to those that haven’t but tied the knot — each youngsters and single juniors.

It’s believed these envelopes — generally known as hongbao/lai see — can shield youngsters by heading off evil spirits, referred to as sui.

Other nations have their very own traditions. In South Korea, as an illustration, the Lunar New Year pageant is known as Seollal. The first three days are stuffed with tributes to ancestors, festive video games and meals similar to rice truffles (tteokguk) and pancakes (jeon).

Day three of the Lunar New Year, which falls on February 19, is called chi kou/cek hau, or pink mouth.

It’s believed that arguments usually tend to occur on today, so some folks will keep away from social interactions and go to temples to make choices to offset any potential dangerous luck.

As famous earlier, for many individuals Lunar New Year is a time to seek the advice of the celebrities to search out out what lies forward within the coming months.

Every 12 months, sure Chinese zodiac indicators conflict with the celebrities negatively, so temple visits are thought of a great way to resolve these conflicts and produce peace within the coming months.

The seventh day of the Lunar New Year (February 23) is when followers imagine the Chinese mom goddess, Nuwa, created humanity. Thus, it’s referred to as renri/jan jat (the folks’s birthday).

Different communities in Asia will serve varied “birthday” meals on that day.

For instance, Cantonese folks eat dishes manufactured from seven forms of greens. In Malaysia and Singapore, the aforementioned “prosperity toss” would possibly make an look on tables.

The spotlight of the entire Spring Festival, the Lantern Festival occurs on the fifteenth and remaining day (March 3 in 2026).

Called Yuan Xiao Jie in Mandarin Chinese, it’s thought of the proper ending to the weeks-long Lunar New Year preparations and celebrations.

The Lantern Festival celebrates the primary full moon of the 12 months — therefore the title: Yuan means starting; Xiao means evening.

It marks the departure of winter and the start of the spring season.

On today, folks gentle lanterns to represent driving out darkness and bringing hope to the approaching 12 months.

In historical Chinese society, it was the one day when younger women have been allowed to exit to admire the lanterns and meet boys. As a end result, it’s additionally been dubbed Chinese Valentine’s Day.

Nowadays, cities worldwide nonetheless placed on huge lantern shows and festivals on the pageant’s remaining day.