The Ultimate Guide to Chinese New Year (Spring Festival)
Chinese New Year (also called Spring Festival or Lunar New Year) is the most popular holiday in China and Chinese communities around the world.
As one of the most important and distinctive traditional Chinese folk festivals, Chinese New Year carries rich cultural connotations and profound national emotions. It originated from the ritual activities of praying for good years at the beginning of each lunar year during the ancient Shang Dynasty period.
In-Depth Guide
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As time goes by, Chinese New Year has gradually evolved into a grand folk festival that combines worshiping gods and ancestors, praying for blessings and warding off evil spirits, reuniting with family and friends, celebrating, entertainment, and dining. On this festival, people will engage in a series of celebration activities, such as pasting Spring Festival couplets, sweeping dust, setting off firecrackers, having New Year’s Eve dinner, and paying New Year’s call to pray for peace, happiness, and prosperity in the coming year.
In 2006, Spring Festival Folk Customs was included in the first batch of China’s national intangible cultural heritage list. In 2024, the Chinese New Year was included in UNESCO World Cultural Heritage.
When is Chinese New Year
The Spring Festival falls on the first day of the Chinese Lunar New Year, marking the beginning of a new year. Due to the incomplete correspondence between the lunar calendar and the Gregorian calendar, the Gregorian date of the Spring Festival (the first day of the first lunar month) varies every year, ranging from January 21 to February 20.
The Spring Festival of 2026 will arrive on February 17th of the Gregorian calendar. On this day, people from all over China will immerse themselves in a strong festive atmosphere, with every household decorating red and full of joy.
Chinese New Year Calendar
Chinese New Year 2026 Holiday: from February 15th ( one day before Lunar New Year’s Eve, Sunday) to February 23rd (the 7th day of the first lunar month, Monday), for a total of 9 days.
Note: From 2025 until 2029, the Chinese New Year’s Eve falls on the 29th day of the 12th lunar month for five consecutive years.
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