What is Lunar New Year?
The festival marks the start of the year in the traditional lunisolar calendar. Celebrations traditionally last fifteen days, from New Year's Eve and its reunion dinner to the Lantern Festival on the first full moon.
Each year belongs to one of twelve animals of the zodiac: 2026 was the Year of the Horse, and 2027 is the Year of the Goat (also translated Sheep or Ram). An old legend tells of Nian, a beast that came out at the turn of the year and was frightened away by the colour red, fire and loud noises, which is why homes are hung with red and firecrackers are set off.
When is Lunar New Year? Dates for 2026 and 2027
2026
- Tuesday 17 February 2026Lunar New Year: the Year of the Horse begins
2027
- Friday 5 February 2027New Year's Eve and the reunion dinner
- Saturday 6 February 2027Lunar New Year: the Year of the Goat begins
- Saturday 20 February 2027Lantern Festival, the fifteenth day
The date follows the moon: the new year begins on the second new moon after the winter solstice, so it moves between 21 January and 20 February. The 2027 date appears in official public-holiday lists, such as Singapore's.
How people celebrate
- Cleaning the home before the new year to sweep out bad luck, then decorating it with red couplets, paper cuts and lanterns.
- The reunion dinner on New Year's Eve, and dishes that differ from place to place: dumplings in northern China, sticky rice cakes in Vietnam, rice-cake soup in Korea.
- Red envelopes of lucky money for children, lion and dragon dances in the streets, and fireworks at midnight.
Good to know
- Plan travel well ahead: the journeys home around the new year are often called the largest yearly migration in the world.
- Tradition says you shouldn't sweep on New Year's Day, or you'll sweep the good luck away.
- In the Vietnamese zodiac the Cat takes the place of the Rabbit.