The fifth day of the new year is dedicated to welcoming Cai Shen, the God of Wealth. When visiting, it’s customary to bring gifts, such as fruits or beverages, and exchange greetings like Gong Xi Fa Cai (wishing you prosperity) and Guo Nian Hao (happy new year). In the past, the gesture behind the red pockets was more important than the amount of money inside. A key part of this tradition is the exchange of Hong Bao (red envelopes), which carry good wishes.
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The villagers then understood that the Nian was afraid of the colour red and loud noises. The day after, the villagers came back to their town and saw that nothing had been destroyed. According to legend, Chinese New Year started with combating a mythical beast called the Nian (a beast that lives under the sea or in the mountains that looks like a lion with horns) during the annual Spring Festival.
The first day Ringospin Casino of the Chinese New Year falls on the new moon that appears between 21 January and 20 February.a Chinese New Year dates vary slightly between years, but it usually comes during the period from January 21st to February 20th in Gregorian calendar. The Chinese New Year of 2026 falls on February 17th (Tuesday), and will last to February 21th.
At the heart of Lunar New Year celebrations is the reunion dinner on Lunar New Year’s Eve, which falls on February 16th, 2026. Red is the dominant color for decorations, which include red lanterns, paper cuttings, Spring Festival couplets, and strings of chili peppers. The phrase Guo Nian, meaning “celebrating the new year” in Chinese, evokes warm feelings of family reunions.
- These packets contain money in an amount that reflects good luck and honorability.
- But long before modern calendars standardised dates, societies measured passing months by the moon, tracking its phases to mark time.
- In general, except for those in lucky colours like red and yellow, chrysanthemums should not be displayed at home during the New Year, because they are normally used for ancestral veneration.
- It’s believed that arguments are more likely to happen on this day, so some people will avoid social interactions and visit temples to make offerings to offset any potential bad luck.
- The horse, known for its spiritedness, speed, and strength, was therefore chosen as the emblem of this dynamic temporal phase.
- The fifth day of the new year is dedicated to welcoming Cai Shen, the God of Wealth.
- The traditional dances are known worldwide and are often accompanied with loud drums and the cheers of a crowd.
Suddenly, the doors and windows were blown open by a strange wind, and even the candlelight was extinguished. The fever would eventually cause the child to have intellectual disabilities. In the mid-2010s, Chinese messaging apps such as WeChat popularized the distribution of red envelopes in a virtual format via mobile payments, usually within group chats.
Things You Didn’t Know About Chinese New Year
The Taijitu, the well-known circular symbol commonly referred to as the Yin-Yang symbol – visually represents this philosophy. The temperament traditionally attributed to the Horse – bold, enthusiastic, energetic – aligns naturally with the attributes of Yang Fire. The horse, known for its spiritedness, speed, and strength, was therefore chosen as the emblem of this dynamic temporal phase. The connection between zodiac animals and Earthly Branches reflects the ancient Chinese understanding of natural order. The Horse occupies the seventh position in this sequence and corresponds specifically to the Earthly Branch “Wu,” hence the designation ‘Wu Horse.’ The origins of the Chinese zodiac can be traced to ancient astronomical observation and early forms of animal worship.
In Taiwan, spring travel is a significant event known as the Spring Festival travel rush. In Taiwan, businesses traditionally reopen on the sixth day of the Chinese New Year, accompanied by firecrackers. During this time, many Koreans would visit their family, perform ancestral rites, wear the hanbok (한복; 韓服) / Chosŏn-ot (조선옷; 朝鮮옷), eat traditional food, and play traditional folk games. This 40-day period is called chunyun, and is known as the world’s largest annual migration. Owing to a large number of interprovincial travellers, special arrangements are made by railways, buses, and airlines starting from fifteen days before the New Year’s Day. In general, except for those in lucky colours like red and yellow, chrysanthemums should not be displayed at home during the New Year, because they are normally used for ancestral veneration.
What are some common taboos or things to avoid doing during the New Year period to prevent bad luck?
The dates of the celebration follow the Chinese lunisolar calendar instead of the Gregorian calendar. In India, many celebrate Chinese New Year with lion and dragon dances in Chinatown, Kolkata, where a significant community of people of Chinese origin exists. In 2026, no official Chinese New Year celebrations were held in Yaowarat as the country was in mourning following the passing of the Queen Sirikit.
It is also known as the ‘Spring Festival’
For other countries and regions where the Chinese New Year is celebrated but not as an official holiday, see the table below. In certain countries, a statutory holiday is added on the following workday if the New Year (as a public holiday) falls on a weekend. Chinese New Year is observed as a public holiday in some countries and territories, outside of China, with a sizable Chinese population. The poem Yuan Ri (元日) also includes the word bao zhu (爆竹, “exploding bamboo”), which is believed to be a reference to firecrackers,citation needed instead of the previous tradition of firing bamboo, both of which are called the same in the Chinese language. Amid the sound of firecrackers, a year has come to an end,The spring wind has wafted warm breath to the Tusu wine.While the rising sun shines over each and every household,People get rid of the old couplets and put up the new ones.
- The first and second days of the Lunar New Year are reserved for visiting family and friends.
- Any haircuts need to be completed before the New Year, as cutting hair on New Year is considered bad luck due to the homonymic nature of the word “hair” (fa) and the word for “prosperity”.
- In Indonesia, the first day of the Chinese New Year is recognized as a national holiday.
- Every member of the family was then served a bowl, with leftovers distributed to relatives and friends.
- The black (Yin) and white (Yang) halves flow into one another, each containing a dot of its opposite, symbolizing the principle that within every extreme lies the seed of transformation.
- It is not only a special moment symbolizing rebirth, hope, and reunion, but also reflects the reverence and respect for time and nature in traditional Chinese culture.
Many believe that a big cleanup should take place at home on the 28th day of the last lunar month, which falls on February 15 this year. Every animal in this zodiac system, which is called Sheng Xiao, is believed to have a personality that represents the year and the people born during that year. Some people prepare and enjoy special foods on certain days during the holiday. Since the mid-1990s people in China have been given seven consecutive days off work during the Chinese New Year. During the 15 days of celebration, breaking objects is considered a bad omen, as it is thought to bring bad luck, and gifting or buying new books is discouraged because the word for “book” sounds like “lose” in Chinese. Nevertheless, decorative lights and lanterns were displayed as usual, and Songkhla Province declared the day a public holiday.
On Chinese New Year day, it is customary for Sino-Mauritians to share niangao with their relatives and friends and to light firecrackers to ward off evil spirits. While the family dinner was traditionally celebrated at the house of the oldest family members, going to restaurants for New Year’s Eve is getting more popular; some restaurants may have special dinners to foster the family reunions of Sino-Mauritians. Mauritius is also the only country in Africa that lists the Chinese Spring Festival as a statutory public holiday. During the festival, the Chinese embassy in Islamabad arranges various cultural events in which Pakistani arts and cultural organizations and members of the civil society also participate. Observed by Thai Chinese and parts of the private sector, the festivities occur over three days, starting on the day before Chinese New Year’s Eve.
Reunion dinners (particularly in the Southern regions) may prominently feature specialty meats (e.g. wax-cured meats such as duck and Chinese sausage) and seafood (e.g. lobster and abalone) that are usually reserved for special occasions. The New Year’s Eve dinner is very large and sumptuous and traditionally includes dishes of meat (namely, pork and chicken) and fish. The venue will usually be in or near the home of the most senior member of the family. A reunion dinner is held on New Year’s Eve, during which family members gather for a celebration. In China and Malaysia, this day is celebrated by individuals seeking a romantic partner, akin to Valentine’s Day. In some overseas Chinese communities in Southeast Asia, such as Malaysia and Singapore, it is also the day when tossed raw fish salad, yusheng, is eaten for continued wealth and prosperity.