The well-known proverb “An old horse knows the way” reflects wisdom gained through experience. As a result, the horse became a powerful cultural symbol of loyalty, endurance, and dedication. Other folklore suggests that the order of the zodiac animals was determined by a great celestial race.
Before the Meiji period, the date of the Japanese New Year had been based on Japanese versions of lunisolar calendar (the last of which was the Tenpō calendar) and, before, Jōkyō calendar, the Chinese version. Since 1873, the official Japanese New Year has been celebrated according to the Gregorian calendar, on 1 January of each year, New Year’s Day (元日, Ganjitsu). The Japanese New Year (正月, Shōgatsu) is an annual festival that takes place in Japan.
Their son was very sleepy, however, so they let him go to sleep after placing a red paper bag containing the copper coins under the child’s pillow. Red envelopes are then kept under the pillow and slept on for seven nights after the Chinese New Year, before opening, because that symbolizes Ringospin Casino good luck and fortune. Red packets almost always contain money, usually varying from a couple of dollars to several hundred.
What Are People Born in the Year of the Horse Like?
The first day of the Chinese New Year falls on the new moon that appears between 21 January and 20 February.a Chinese New Year dates vary slightly between years, but it usually comes during the period from January 21st to February 20th in Gregorian calendar. The Chinese New Year of 2026 falls on February 17th (Tuesday), and will last to February 21th.
However, in 1873, five years after the Meiji Restoration, Japan adopted the Gregorian calendar, and the first day of January became the official and cultural New Year’s Day in Japan. During the New Year holidays, stage bosses gather the most popular actors from various troupes and let them perform repertories from the Qing dynasty. In 2017, it was estimated that over 100 billion of these virtual red envelopes would be sent over the New Year holiday. Many families in China still follow the tradition of eating only vegetarian food on the first day of the new year, as it is believed that doing so will bring good luck into their lives for the whole year. Legends hold that the Hokkien were spared from a massacre by Japanese pirates by hiding in a sugarcane plantation, between the eighth and ninth days of the Chinese New Year, coinciding with the Jade Emperor’s birthday. The seventh day, traditionally known as Renri (the common person’s birthday), is the day when everyone grows one year older.
A 2026 guide to Lunar New Year as we gallop into the Year of the Horse
Several foods are consumed to usher in wealth, happiness, and good fortune. These packets contain money in an amount that reflects good luck and honorability. Red envelopes may be distributed during the reunion dinner to the immediate family. Certain Chinese characters can represent luck as well, such as the Chinese word for tangerine (桔 jú), which contains the Chinese character for luck (吉 jí). The Chinese word for pomelos (柚 yòu) sounds similar to ‘to have’ (有 yǒu); disregarding its tone, however, it sounds exactly like ‘again’ (又 yòu). The pronunciations of these Chinese words are said to harbor luck and prosperity, such as the Chinese pronunciation for orange (橙 chéng), which sounds the same as the Chinese for ‘success’ (成).
Another family dinner is held to celebrate the eve of the birth of the Jade Emperor, the ruler of heaven. For many Chinese Buddhists, this is another day to avoid meat, as the seventh day commemorates the birth of Sakra, lord of the Devas in Buddhist cosmology, who is analogous to the Jade Emperor. In China, it is also common that on the 5th day people will shoot off firecrackers to get Guan Yu’s attention, thus ensuring his favour and good fortune for the new year.
Many believe that a big cleanup should take place at home on the 28th day of the last lunar month, which falls on February 15 this year. Every animal in this zodiac system, which is called Sheng Xiao, is believed to have a personality that represents the year and the people born during that year. Some people prepare and enjoy special foods on certain days during the holiday. Since the mid-1990s people in China have been given seven consecutive days off work during the Chinese New Year. During the 15 days of celebration, breaking objects is considered a bad omen, as it is thought to bring bad luck, and gifting or buying new books is discouraged because the word for “book” sounds like “lose” in Chinese. Nevertheless, decorative lights and lanterns were displayed as usual, and Songkhla Province declared the day a public holiday.
- The Lunar New Year celebrations conclude with the Lantern Festival, falling on March 3rd, 2026, which marks the first full moon of the lunar year.
- There are too many people on the way, so the transportation department needs to make every effort to ensure that passengers can go home and come back safely.
- According to the legend, every Lunar New Year’s Eve this ferocious underwater beast with sharp teeth and horns would crawl onto the land and attack a nearby village.
- Lantern Festival is famous for its Yuan Xiao (sweet rice balls), whose round shape symbolizes family unity and togetherness.
- Observed by Thai Chinese and parts of the private sector, the festivities occur over three days, starting on the day before Chinese New Year’s Eve.
- With the demon vanquished, peace returned to the village, and in gratitude, the elders bestowed upon the courageous young man a red envelope filled with money as a token of appreciation for his valor and for freeing the village from the demon’s menace.
This is why fireworks and firecrackers are a huge part of the celebrations that take place across the globe. Another is wearing red in some form to ward off evil spirits. But the animals in the zodiac can slightly differ in other countries, like the Boar replacing the Pig in the zodiac in Japan and the dragon being substituted for a mythical creature, known as Naga, in Thailand. All animals were invited, but as a reward, the 12 who arrived and took part had a year named after them in the zodiac, with the race determining in which order the animals would be placed. According to the traditional legend of The Great Race, it was the Jade Emperor who organised a race which saw the 12 species take part.
Therefore, on New Year’s Eve, people fled to the deep mountains to avoid the harm of the Nian monster. In ancient China, there was a monster called “Nian”, which had long antennae on its head and was extremely fierce. The Spring Festival of 2026 will arrive on February 17th of the Gregorian calendar. The Spring Festival falls on the first day of the Chinese Lunar New Year, marking the beginning of a new year. It originated from the ritual activities of praying for good years at the beginning of each lunar year during the ancient Shang Dynasty period.
All you need to know about the Chinese Year Of The Red Horse
As one of the twelve traditional zodiac animals in Chinese culture, the Horse corresponds to the Earthly Branch ‘Wu’ and appears in a twelve-year cyclical pattern within the traditional calendar system. The first and second days of the Lunar New Year are reserved for visiting family and friends. For those born in a Horse year, 2026 is their Ben Ming Nian—a year traditionally believed to bring bad luck due to a clash with Tai Sui, the God of Age. Lunar New Year, also known as Chinese New Year or Spring Festival, marks the start of a new zodiac cycle based on the Chinese lunar calendar. Nowadays, cities worldwide still put on massive lantern displays and fairs on the festival’s final day.
New York City
Reunion dinners (particularly in the Southern regions) may prominently feature specialty meats (e.g. wax-cured meats such as duck and Chinese sausage) and seafood (e.g. lobster and abalone) that are usually reserved for special occasions. The New Year’s Eve dinner is very large and sumptuous and traditionally includes dishes of meat (namely, pork and chicken) and fish. The venue will usually be in or near the home of the most senior member of the family. A reunion dinner is held on New Year’s Eve, during which family members gather for a celebration. In China and Malaysia, this day is celebrated by individuals seeking a romantic partner, akin to Valentine’s Day. In some overseas Chinese communities in Southeast Asia, such as Malaysia and Singapore, it is also the day when tossed raw fish salad, yusheng, is eaten for continued wealth and prosperity.
One of the most well-known practices of the current day is receiving money from their elders after performing a formal bow, a tradition likely adopted from Confucian customs.citation needed Nianhua can be a form of Chinese coloured woodblock printing, for decoration during the Chinese New Year. However, this only helps you get even more control over your life as you learn to stay ahead of everything by being cautious. According to Chinese tradition, the year of the pig is a generally unlucky year for the public, which is why you need to reevaluate most of your decisions before you come to a conclusion. On the Chinese opera stage, a painted red face usually denotes a sacred or loyal personage and sometimes a great emperor.
- It was celebrated as one of the official national religious holidays by Chinese Indonesians from 18 June 1946 to 1 January 1953 through a government regulation signed by President Sukarno on 18 June 1946.
- They probably predate the Ming dynasty (1368–1644), but did not become widespread until then.
- For many Chinese Buddhists, this is another day to avoid meat, as the seventh day commemorates the birth of Sakra, lord of the Devas in Buddhist cosmology, who is analogous to the Jade Emperor.
- The third day of the new year, February 19th, 2026, is traditionally a day for visiting temples.
- This is done so that the Kitchen God can report to the Jade Emperor of the family household’s transgressions and good deeds.
- In the chapter, “Ending of a Year” (歲除) in Wulin jiushi (武林舊事), concubines of the emperor prepared a hundred and twenty coins for princes and princesses to wish them longevity.
And this time of year, families can be seen enjoying the likes of fish, which represents fortune, as well as dumplings that symbolise wealth and glutinous rice balls, marking family reunion. When it comes to traditional Chinese foods, different food represents different things. There are so many dishes famous and loved around the world and when it comes to Lunar New Year, a number of them are at the centre of the celebrations. Throughout the celebrations, families and loved ones reunite to partake in traditions and share wishes of health and prosperity for the upcoming year. The animals and performances are believed to bring good fortune.
Transportation during Chinese New Year, abbreviated as “Spring Festival travel rush”, is divided by the Spring Festival, with 15 days before the festival and 25 days after, for a total of 40 days. The fifth day of the first lunar month, according to Chinese folk customs, is the birthday of the five Gods of Wealth. Ancestral worshiping usually takes place on the last day of the 12th lunar month, and varies in different regions due to different traditions. On the 24th day of the 12th lunar month, there is a custom of sweeping dust (aka sweeping houses).
The fifth day of the new year is dedicated to welcoming Cai Shen, the God of Wealth. When visiting, it’s customary to bring gifts, such as fruits or beverages, and exchange greetings like Gong Xi Fa Cai (wishing you prosperity) and Guo Nian Hao (happy new year). In the past, the gesture behind the red pockets was more important than the amount of money inside. A key part of this tradition is the exchange of Hong Bao (red envelopes), which carry good wishes.
On New Year’s Eve, all family members gather together to enjoy a sumptuous dinner. The process of purchasing all Chinese New Year’s goods, including food, wearing, using, pasting (New Year’s red), gifts, etc., is collectively referred to as Spring Festival shopping. It is the year-end household cleaning, symbolizing the elimination of bad luck of the past year. Later one New Year’s Eve, an elderly beggar came from outside the village and told people the methods to drive away the Nian monster.
The monster was afraid of loud noises, bright lights, and the color red, so those things were used to chase the beast away. They probably predate the Ming dynasty (1368–1644), but did not become widespread until then. New Year couplets printed in gold letters on bright red paper, referred to as chunlian (春聯) or fai chun (揮春), are another way of expressing wishes for an auspicious new year. Chinese New Year is often accompanied by loud, enthusiastic greetings, often referred to as 吉祥話 (jíxiánghuà) in Mandarin or 吉利說話 (Kat Lei Seut Wa) in Cantonese, loosely translated as “auspicious words or phrases”. In Budapest, celebrations have been held since 2017 in the Kőbánya district with many parades and performances. The largest of three parades has around 40 groups and 4,000 performers and is attended by more than 200,000 people in the 13th arrondissement.
