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-about an important occasion of the yr 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 differ relying on the nation or area, however there are a number of widespread traditions.
Whether you’re unfamiliar with the event or want a refresher, this guide to ushering within the Year of the Horse has you lined.
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 yr have been Snakes, whereas these born on or after the Lunar New Year in 2027 shall be Goats, and so forth.
And yearly, a heavenly stem (one in all 5 components, which fall into the yin or yang class) is paired with an earthly department (one of many 12 Chinese zodiac animals). This yr, the heavenly stem is “Bing” (large solar) and the earthly department is “Wu” (the Horse), making it the Year of the Fire Horse.
Followers consider 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 information in a different way, however there may be often a consensus on what the yr means for every zodiac animal based mostly 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 have to say about their explicit zodiac signal for the approaching months.
Why gentle firecrackers and put on purple? Meet Nian
There are numerous folktales connected to Lunar New Year, however the delusion of Nian stands out as one of the vital enjoyable.
According to the legend, each Lunar New Year’s Eve this ferocious underwater beast with sharp tooth 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 previous man confirmed up and insisted on sticking round regardless of warnings of impending doom.
To the villagers’ shock, the previous man and the village survived totally unscathed.
The man claimed to have scared Nian away by hanging purple banners on his door, lighting firecrackers and donning purple clothes.
This is why carrying the fiery coloration, together with hanging banners and lighting firecrackers or fireworks, are Lunar New Year traditions, all of that are nonetheless adopted as we speak.
Like many main holidays, Lunar New Year will be lots of work. Festivities typically final for 15 days — typically much more — with totally different duties and actions going down over that interval.
It all begins a couple of week forward of the brand new yr.
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 lead to enhancements and progress within the coming yr. (If you haven’t ready your individual “gou” but, right here’s an easy recipe for radish cake, a beloved Lunar New Year dish.)
And don’t overlook about our pal Nian. No Lunar New Year preparation can be full with out the hanging of purple banners bearing auspicious phrases and idioms (known as fai chun in Cantonese and chunlian in Mandarin) at house — starting with one’s entrance door.
These will carry out double obligation — preserve Nian away and invite success.
Some of the prep work isn’t fairly as gratifying. Many consider {that a} large cleanup ought to happen at house on the twenty eighth day of the final lunar month, which falls on February 15 this yr.
The intention is to rid your house of any unhealthy luck that’s collected over the previous yr. Some believers received’t even sweep or take out the trash for the primary 5 days of the brand new yr, fearing they may wash away all that recent good luck.
On a associated word, many say you shouldn’t wash or minimize your hair on the primary day of the brand new yr both.
Why? Because the Chinese character for the phrase hair is the primary character within the phrase for prosper. So washing or reducing it off is seen as washing your fortune away.
(Read extra Lunar New Year do’s and don’ts here.)
A large household reunion dinner is often held on Lunar New Year’s Eve, which falls on February 16 this yr.
The menu is rigorously chosen to embody dishes related to luck, together with fish (the Chinese phrase for it additionally seems like “surplus”), puddings (symbolizes development) and meals that appear to be gold ingots (equivalent to dumplings).
In China, the meals served at these basic dinners differ relying on the area. For occasion, in some northern areas folks have a tendency to serve dumplings and noodles, whereas the south can’t stay with out steamed rice.
Lunar New Year feasts might look very totally different exterior 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 purple 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 abilities, as many individuals have to journey and go to quick household, different family members and buddies.
Bags are stocked with presents and fruits to give out at folks’s houses. Visitors shall be showered with items after catching up over Lunar New Year treats.
In many households, married persons are anticipated to give out purple packets full of cash to those that haven’t but tied the knot — each kids and single juniors.
It’s believed these envelopes — generally known as hongbao/lai see — can shield kids by heading off evil spirits, known as sui.
Other nations have their very own traditions. In South Korea, for example, the Lunar New Year competition is named Seollal. The first three days are full of tributes to ancestors, festive video games and meals equivalent 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 purple mouth.
It’s believed that arguments are extra seemingly to occur on this present day, so some folks will keep away from social interactions and go to temples to make choices to offset any potential unhealthy luck.
As famous earlier, for many individuals Lunar New Year is a time to seek the advice of the celebrities to discover out what lies forward within the coming months.
Every yr, sure Chinese zodiac indicators conflict with the celebrities negatively, so temple visits are thought-about 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 consider the Chinese mom goddess, Nuwa, created humanity. Thus, it’s known as renri/jan jat (the folks’s birthday).
Different communities in Asia will serve numerous “birthday” meals on that day.
For instance, Cantonese folks eat dishes product of seven kinds 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 ultimate day (March 3 in 2026).
Called Yuan Xiao Jie in Mandarin Chinese, it’s thought-about the right ending to the weeks-long Lunar New Year preparations and celebrations.
The Lantern Festival celebrates the primary full moon of the yr — therefore the title: Yuan means starting; Xiao means night time.
It marks the departure of winter and the start of the spring season.
On this present day, folks gentle lanterns to symbolize driving out darkness and bringing hope to the approaching yr.
In historic Chinese society, it was the one day when younger women have been allowed to exit to admire the lanterns and meet boys. As a consequence, it’s additionally been dubbed Chinese Valentine’s Day.
Nowadays, cities worldwide nonetheless placed on large lantern shows and gala’s on the competition’s ultimate day.