Chinese New Year 2026 falls on Tuesday, February 17 — beginning the Year of the Horse (马年, Mǎnián). Spring Festival (春节) celebrations run from February 16 (New Year's Eve) through the Lantern Festival on March 3.
Quick facts for 2026
- Lunar date: First day of the first lunar month
- Gregorian date: February 17, 2026 (Tuesday)
- Zodiac: Year of the Horse (马) — energetic, passionate, intelligent
- Element: Fire (火) — Year of the Fire Horse
- Lucky colors: Red, brown, yellow
- Lucky numbers: 2, 3, 7
When is the public holiday?
| Country | Holiday duration | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 🇨🇳 China | Feb 16-22 (7 days) | Spring Festival Golden Week |
| 🇹🇼 Taiwan | Feb 16-20 (5 days) | |
| 🇭🇰 Hong Kong | Feb 17-19 (3 days) | |
| 🇲🇴 Macau | Feb 17-19 (3 days) | |
| 🇸🇬 Singapore | Feb 17-18 (2 days) | |
| 🇲🇾 Malaysia | Feb 17-18 (2 days) | |
| 🇮🇩 Indonesia | Feb 19 (1 day, Imlek) | |
| 🇵🇭 Philippines | Feb 17 (1 day) | |
| 🇰🇷 South Korea | Feb 16-18 (3 days) | Seollal |
| 🇻🇳 Vietnam | Feb 16-20 (5 days) | Tết Nguyên Đán |
The 15 days of Spring Festival
Day 1 (Feb 17): New Year's Day
The most important day. Family reunion lunch. Children wear new clothes, receive hongbao (red envelopes with money) from elders. Firecrackers, lion and dragon dances.
Days 2-3 (Feb 18-19): Visit family
Married women visit their parents (Day 2). Brothers and extended family on Day 3.
Day 5 (Feb 21): God of Wealth's day
Businesses often reopen with offerings to the God of Wealth (Cai Shen Ye).
Day 7 (Feb 23): Renri (人日, "everyone's birthday")
Traditionally everyone becomes a year older.
Day 15 (Mar 3): Lantern Festival (元宵节, Yuan Xiao Jie)
Lantern displays, tangyuan (sweet rice ball soup), fireworks. End of Spring Festival.
Foods you'll see everywhere
| Dish | Symbolism |
|---|---|
| Dumplings (饺子, jiǎozi) | Wealth (shape resembles ancient Chinese gold ingots) |
| Fish (鱼, yú) | Surplus (鱼 sounds like 余, "abundance") |
| Spring rolls (春卷) | Springtime, new beginnings |
| Niangao (年糕, sticky rice cake) | "Higher year" (high prosperity) |
| Tangyuan (汤圆, sweet rice balls) | Family togetherness (round = unity) |
| Mandarin oranges (橙子) | Luck (橙 sounds like 成, "success") |
| Pomelos (柚子) | Prosperity (柚 sounds like 有, "to have") |
| Longevity noodles (长寿面) | Long life (don't cut them!) |
Greetings to learn
| Greeting | Pinyin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 新年快乐 | Xīnnián kuàilè | Happy New Year |
| 恭喜发财 | Gōngxǐ fācái | May you have a prosperous year |
| 万事如意 | Wànshì rúyì | May all your wishes come true |
| 身体健康 | Shēntǐ jiànkāng | Wishing you good health |
| 学业进步 | Xuéyè jìnbù | (For students) academic progress |
| 红包拿来 | Hóngbāo nálái | "Hand over the red envelope!" (cheeky kid greeting) |
In Cantonese (Hong Kong, Guangdong):
- 恭喜發財 (Gung Hei Fat Choi)
- 龍馬精神 (Lung Mah Jing Sun — "spirit of dragon and horse" — strength and energy)
Things to avoid on Day 1
- Washing hair (washes away luck)
- Sweeping or cleaning (sweeps away prosperity)
- Saying inauspicious words (death, sickness, "no")
- Using sharp objects (cutting away luck)
- Wearing black or white (mourning colors)
- Breaking dishes (bad omen — if you do, immediately say "岁岁平安")
- Paying back debts or lending money
Where to celebrate
Best places to experience Chinese New Year
- Beijing — Temple Fairs (庙会) at Ditan Park, Longtan Lake
- Hong Kong — International Chinese New Year Night Parade (Feb 17), fireworks at Victoria Harbour (Feb 18)
- Singapore — Chingay Parade, Chinatown Light-Up
- San Francisco — Largest CNY parade outside Asia (Feb 28, 2026)
- Sydney — Chinese New Year Festival (multi-week)
- London — Largest CNY celebration outside Asia (Trafalgar Square)
Travel warnings
- Train tickets sell out 2 months ahead in China. Domestic flights triple in price.
- Tourist attractions in China (Forbidden City, Great Wall) close on Day 1 or have reduced hours.
- Most small shops close for 3-7 days in mainland China.
- Tourist services in major cities (Shanghai, Beijing, Hong Kong) remain open.
See more
- Chinese New Year holiday detail
- Seollal — Korean Lunar New Year
- Tết — Vietnamese New Year
- China 2026 calendar
- Singapore 2026 calendar
Spring Festival dates vary by Chinese lunar calculation. 2027 Lunar New Year: February 6. 2028: January 26. 2029: February 13. 2030: February 3.