Chinese New Year (Spring Festival) is the most important celebration in the Chinese calendar — a 15-day festival of family reunions, elaborate feasts, spectacular fireworks, and ancient traditions.
The Lunar Calendar
Chinese New Year follows the lunisolar calendar, falling on the new moon between January 21 and February 20. In 2026 it falls on February 17. The festival has been celebrated for over 3,000 years.
The Legend of Nian
The mythical beast Nian emerged annually to devour villagers but was terrified of red and loud noises — hence the traditions of red decorations and fireworks.
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Key Traditions
New Year’s Eve (除夕): The reunion dinner (年夜饭) — dumplings in the north, sticky rice cakes (年糕) in the south. No sweeping — it would sweep away good luck.
Day 1: Wear red, eat dumplings, avoid sharp objects.
Day 15 (元宵节): Lantern Festival — paper lanterns, sweet rice dumplings (汤圆) mark the end of celebrations.
Explore more traditions in our Chinese Culture Complete Guide.
