Chinese New Year – Happy New Year (新年快乐)
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Yesterday, on February 17, 2026, the Chinese New Year began, marking the year of the Fire Horse. In large parts of East Asia as well as in Chinese communities worldwide, the turn of the year was celebrated with family rituals, traditional foods, and extensive fireworks.
With "Xīnnián kuàilè" one wishes a happy new year, with "Gōngxǐ fācái" success and prosperity. However, the turn of the year is less an individual moment of congratulations and more a culturally and historically deeply rooted transition.
Name and calendar
The Chinese New Year festival, also called "Chunjie" or Spring Festival, is the most important traditional holiday in the Chinese cultural sphere.
The date is calculated according to the Chinese lunisolar calendar and falls on the second new moon after the winter solstice, i.e., between January 21 and February 21.
The New Year festival also marks the beginning of a new phase in the zodiac cycle. In 2026, the year 丙午, bǐngwǔ, the Fire Horse, started within the sixty-year cycle of heavenly stems and earthly branches.
Spread
The festival is celebrated in China, Taiwan, Vietnam, Korea, Mongolia, as well as in numerous diaspora communities in Southeast Asia, North America, and Europe.
Around the New Year festival, the world's largest regular migration movement takes place annually. Millions of migrant workers travel back to their families. This phase is called "Chunyun."
Mythology and origin of fireworks
A central legend tells of the monster "Niánshòu," which haunted villages at the end of the year. To drive it away, people made noise, lit fires, and used the colors red and gold.
The tradition of fireworks developed from this custom. China is considered the birthplace of gunpowder. Early forms already consisted of burning bamboo tubes that burst with a loud bang.
The fireworks symbolically represent the expulsion of the old, protection against misfortune, and a powerful new beginning.
Course of the celebrations
Preparations:
Weeks before the festival, houses are cleaned, repainted, and decorated. Red banners and lanterns symbolize luck and prosperity. Offerings to the kitchen god are meant to secure a positive heavenly judgment.
New Year's Eve:
The family gathers for a lavish feast. Fish is traditionally not eaten completely, as its name is a homophone for "abundance." Money gifts are given in red envelopes.
Just before midnight, the fireworks begin, lasting in many places until the early morning hours.
New Year's Day and following days:
The first day is dedicated to family, followed by visits to relatives. Certain days are dedicated to special meanings, such as the god of prosperity or the symbolic "Rénrì," the birthday of all people.
The festival ends on the fifteenth day with the Lantern Festival.
Customs
Considered lucky are, among others:
- Opening windows and doors to let luck in
- Wearing new clothes
- Sweet food
- Leaving lights burning at night
Considered ominous are:
- Haircutting during the festival days
- Sweeping on the first day
- Wearing white or black clothing
- Conversations about death
Many of these customs are based on wordplays, as certain terms are homophones for "prosperity," "luck," or "loss."
Significance of fireworks in comparison
In the Western context, fireworks are usually concentrated on a few minutes at the turn of the year.
In contrast, the Chinese New Year is part of a multi-day cultural system with mythological, historical, and social roots. It accompanies the festival not only as a visual event but as a ritual act with symbolic function.
Reception
In 2024, the Spring Festival was inscribed by UNESCO on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
This recognized its cultural, historical, and social significance internationally.