02/17/2026
February 17th is Chinese New Year!
The Chinese Lunar New Year’s Day is one of the most important holidays in China. The New Year begins when the new moon appears, which typically occurs between January 21 and February 20. Several myths and legends about the origins of this holiday exist. A popular myth narrates the story of a monster called ‘Nian,’ meaning ‘Year,’ who terrorized villagers at the beginning of each new year. According to the story, the monster also happened to be afraid of bright lights, loud sounds, and the color red. The villagers then used all these to frighten away the monster.
In the past, Chinese New Year was a special time to honor family ancestors. During present-day celebrations, there are several commonplace traditions practiced by people. For instance, homes are thoroughly cleaned out. This cleaning is symbolic of chasing out bad luck and ushering good fortune into the year. Families gather and enjoy special meals. Young ones are given money in red envelopes. On the final day, the ‘Lantern Festival’ takes place. During the festival, glowing lanterns are hung up in temples or carried around. The streets are taken over by parades and ceremonial dances.
You can celebrate with the children by having them help with a thorough cleaning, make lanterns together and enjoy some Chinese food together!
