On Tuesday 17 February 2026, Asian communities across the globe will usher in the Year of the Horse with vibrant carnivals, intimate family gatherings, colourful parades, traditional culinary feasts, dazzling fireworks, and numerous other festive activities. In many Asian nations, this celebration extends over several days, while diaspora communities, particularly within cultural enclaves, observe the Lunar New Year with visible joy and cultural pride.
The Lunar New Year: A Global Festival
The Lunar New Year, recognised as the Spring Festival in China, Tet in Vietnam, and Seollal in Korea, stands as a major festival celebrated across several Asian countries. In Indonesia, festivities feature dragon puppets and dynamic drum displays. This holiday commences with the first new moon of the lunar calendar and concludes fifteen days later with the first full moon. As the lunar calendar is based on the moon's cycles, the dates shift annually, typically falling between late January and mid-February.
The Zodiac Animals and Their Legends
Each year in the Chinese zodiac honours one of twelve animals: the rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, goat, monkey, rooster, dog, and pig. These creatures measure the cycles of time, with legend stating that a god summoned all animals to bid him farewell before leaving Earth, but only these twelve appeared. The Vietnamese zodiac varies slightly, featuring the cat instead of the rabbit and the buffalo in place of the ox.
Symbolism of the Year of the Horse
In Chinese culture, the horse is revered as a powerful symbol of freedom, vitality, and unbridled ambition. Celebrated for its speed and independent spirit, the horse is seen to resist any form of restraint. For 2026, this symbolism suggests a period ripe for seizing new opportunities and embracing significant transformation, encouraging individuals to pursue their goals with energy and determination.
Beliefs and Traditions of the Lunar New Year
One ancient legend tells of Nian, a hideous monster that consumed human flesh on New Year's Day. To repel the beast, which feared the colour red, loud noises, and fire, people adorned their doors with red paper dragons, burned red lanterns throughout the night, and set off firecrackers. Today, celebrations focus on dispelling bad luck and welcoming prosperity and goodness.
Red remains an auspicious colour, symbolising good fortune and joy. People wear red attire, decorate homes with red paper lanterns, and give money in red envelopes to loved ones. Gambling and traditional games are common across cultures during this time.
Ancestor worship is prevalent, with Korean families performing "charye," where females prepare food and males serve it to ancestors, followed by "eumbok," where the family eats together to seek blessings. Vietnamese people place traditional dishes on home altars to honour ancestors. Some Indigenous groups, like Mexico's Purepecha, also celebrate the Lunar New Year.
Diaspora Celebrations and Cultural Adaptations
Asian American communities in the U.S. organise parades, carnivals, and festivities featuring lion and dragon dances, fireworks, traditional foods, and cultural performances. Many clean their homes, purchase new furniture, and decorate with orchids and bright flowers. The Lunar New Year is also observed as a cultural event by some Asian American Christians and several Catholic dioceses and churches across the U.S.
Special Foods for the New Year
Each culture boasts unique dishes for the celebration. Chinese traditions include dumplings, rice cakes, spring rolls, tangerines, fish, meats, and "changshou mian" or long-life noodles, eaten to wish for a long, healthy life. Vietnamese cuisine features banh chung and banh tet, glutinous rice dishes wrapped in banana leaves with mung beans and pork belly. Koreans enjoy tteokguk, a brothy soup with thinly sliced rice cakes. In Hong Kong, some snake shops serve warm bowls of snake soup as the Lunar New Year approaches.
