Gregorian Date
February 17, 2026
Lunar Date
1/1
Day of Week
Tuesday
Chinese New Year (Spring Festival / 春节) grew out of year-end and spring sacrificial rites already attested in the Shang and Zhou periods, more than 3,000 years ago. It later became the lunisolar new-year celebration of reunion and renewal. Popular folklore explains red decorations and firecrackers as a way to drive off the mythical beast Nian.
Chinese New Year, also known as the Spring Festival (春节/春節), is the most important traditional holiday in Chinese culture. It marks the beginning of the lunisolar new year and is a time for family reunions, honoring ancestors, and ushering in prosperity.
Traditional celebrations include giving red envelopes (hongbao), setting off firecrackers, lion and dragon dances, family reunion dinners, and decorating with spring couplets. The celebration lasts 15 days, culminating in the Lantern Festival.
Xin Nian Kuai Le (Happy New Year), Gong Xi Fa Cai (Wishing you prosperity)
Dumplings, Fish (symbolizing surplus), Spring Rolls, Nian Gao (Rice Cake), Tangyuan
The legend of Nian: A mythical beast that would eat villagers, which was scared away by loud noises (firecrackers) and the color red.
Avoid sweeping the floor (sweeping away wealth), washing hair on the first day, or speaking negative words.
Decorating the front entryway with red spring festival couplets and gifting crisp lucky red envelopes (Hongbao) welcomes prosperity and ward off misfortune for the new year.
The New Year's Eve reunion feast is the culinary heart of Spring Festival. Sharing a steaming dual-flavor hotpot and making homemade dumplings symbolizes family wholeness and abundance.
Glowing red lanterns and festive Chinese knots bring vibrant energy (*Yang Qi*) into the home to celebrate the arrival of spring.
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Lantern Festival
Mar 3
Qingming Festival
Apr 5
Easter
Apr 5
Hung Kings Festival
Apr 26
Vietnam Reunification Day
Apr 30
Dragon Boat Festival
Jun 19
Qixi Festival
Aug 19
Vietnam Independence Day
Sep 2
Mid-Autumn Festival
Sep 25
Chinese National Day
Oct 1
German Unity Day
Oct 3
Double Ten Day
Oct 10
Double Ninth Festival
Oct 18