Lunar New Year, an annual 15-day festival in China and celebrated by Chinese communities worldwide, begins with the first new moon of the lunar calendar. Also known as the Spring Festival or the Chinese New Year, this year, the first day falls on Feb. 17. As per the Chinese calendar, 2026 is the Year of the Horse.
A much-awaited annual celebration for millions of Chinese across the globe, this festival focuses on family reunions, honouring ancestors, and praying to deities for a prosperous year. While frequently described as a 15-day event, the festival's duration can extend to 16 days based on the lunar calendar, though China's official public holiday usually covers only the first week.
Preparations for the festival involve cleaning of houses, worshipping, buying festive goods and performing traditional rituals. Considered important for an auspicious start to the new year, many of the practices can be traced back more than 2,000 years, according to a South China Morning Post (SCMP) report. Chinese communities perform special rituals on this occasion for bountiful harvests and to get rid of misfortune.
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Lunar New Year 2026: Date
Start date: February 17
Public holiday (China): First 7 days (Feb 17–Feb 23)
Lantern Festival: March 3 (15th day of the lunar year)
Year of the Horse
The Chinese zodiac calendar follows a 12-year cycle featuring a rotating cast of animals: Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog and Pig. Your specific sign is tied to your birth year. For instance, 2026 will celebrate the arrival of 'Horse' babies, following the Year of the Snake in 2025 and preceding 2027's Year of the Goat, according to a CNN report.
Each year also integrates one of the five elements of wood, fire, earth, metal, and water. For 2026, the 'Bing' heavenly stem (symbolising the sun) aligns with the 'Wu' (the Horse) earthly branch, designating it as the Year of the Fire Horse.
Lunar New Year 2026: Traditions And Celebrations
Ahead of New Year's Eve, families decorate their homes with red items like Spring Festival couplets, new year drawings, paper cuttings and the character “fu” (fortune).
New Year's Eve is also known as the Kitchen God Festival, as the day is dedicated to the Kitchen God, according to Chinese folklore, the SCMP report mentioned. On this day, families prepare sweet items and offer them to the Kitchen God in the evening. It is followed by a family dinner. On New Year's Eve, houses remain brightly lit and families stay awake overnight to welcome the new year. This is known as 'shou sui' in Mandarin, which means “to guard the year”, the SCMP report mentioned.
On the first day of the Lunar New Year, everyone dresses in new clothes. People visit friends and relatives and exchange good wishes for the new year. Younger members of the family seek blessings from elders. An interesting Chinese tradition dictates that no one should cut their hair on the first day of the new year.
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