Chinese New Year 2026: Top 10 Fun Facts to Know

Chinese New Year, also called the Spring Festival or Chūnjié(春节) in Chinese, is the most important festival for Chinese people at home and abroad. During the Chinese New Year, we not only enjoy big feasts and celebration activities, but more importantly, gather with loved ones. Symbolizing reunion and new hope for the coming year, the holiday features many interesting traditions. In this article, we will discuss 10 fun facts about the Chinese New Year 2026.

Fu Character Calligraphy for Chinese New Year

1. January 1st Is Not the Chinese New Year

In China, the date of the New Year is based on the lunar calendar, not the Western (Gregorian) calendar. January 1 marks the Western New Year, but it's usually not celebrated with major festivities in China. The real celebrations come during the Spring Festival, when people enjoy a 7-day holiday filled with family reunions, feasts, and traditional activities. In 2026, the Chinese New Year falls on February 17.

2. Chinese New Year 2026, the Year of the Horse

Year of the Horse Chinese Zodiac Sign

In China, it's commonly believed that 12 years is a cycle and every year is connected to a specific animal, called the 12 zodiac animals. Chinese New Year 2026 is the year of the horse, the seventh animal of this cycle. Traditionally speaking, the kids born in horse year are energetic and optimistic. They prefer to challenge new things and pursue success in their studies or career. If you're at the age of 12 or multiples of 12 in 2026, then your zodiac animal is horse. And the year 2026 is your zodiac year, called "Benmingnian" in Chinese.
Chinese people consider the zodiac year an unlucky year and always wear red socks or a red string to avoid misfortune. What's more, if you are traveling to China in 2026, you will see lots of decorations and souvenirs featuring with horse's image.

3. The Festive Atmosphere Lasts for 16 Days

In the past, the Chinese New Year was celebrated from New Year's Eve to Lantern Festival (the fifteenth day of the new year). At present, while people only have a seven-day holiday including New Year's Eve, the celebration activities continue until the Lantern Festival. Many shops and restaurants close to enjoy the holiday, so Chinese people usually stock up on their necessities before the new year. If you're planning a trip to China during the Spring Festival, pay attention to the business hours of shops and restaurants.

4. Fish at New Year's Eve Dinner Should Not Be Finished

For Chinese people, fish is not only an important dish on New Year's Eve, but a symbol of prosperity and harvest. However, most families won't finish the fish meat entirely. The reason is that the Chinese pronunciation of fish is similar to the other word "yu", representing surplus wealth and food. The families leave some fish meat to show a good wish that there will be surplus wealth and food in the next year.

5. Everything Is Decorated in Red

Red Lantern Decoration on a Chinese Building

Red is considered to represent good luck and happiness in China, and you will see red widely used in the Chinese New Year and other important festivals. During the Spring Festival, you can easily find that the streets are decorated with red lanterns and paper. Many people will wear their new red clothes for good fortune. Thus, if you're having a trip in China during the holiday, you can also dress in red to celebrate the festival with us.

6. Lucky Money in Red Envelops as Gifts

Red Envelope Gift With 100 Yuan

During Chinese New Year, Chinese people give red envelopes, known as hongbao in Chinese, as New Year gifts to their loved ones. Relatives and friends also exchange them when visiting each other during the Chinese New Year. Today, with the boom of social media, many Chinese people send digital red envelopes via WeChat or Alipay. Some companies also send red envelopes to their employees to show hope for the coming year.

The amount of money in red envelopes is not fixed, generally including numbers 2, 6, or 8. If you want to experience this custom, remember the amount should not include the number 4. The Chinese pronunciation of 4 is similar to "si", meaning death in China, and thus being thought to be an unlucky number.

7. No Haircuts during Chinese New Year

There's an old Chinese saying "Jiǎn fà sǐ jiùjiu", meaning if people do haircuts during the first lunar month, their uncles might lose good fortune and even die. Today, people don't literally believe a haircut will cause death. It's more considered as a tradition that doing haircuts during the festival may cause them lose wealth or good fortune. Most of them will do haircuts before the Chinese New Year and welcome the new year with a new look. Meanwhile, the barber shops will close to celebrate the festival.

8. Rent a Boyfriend or Girlfriend during the Holiday

Some single young people will hire a boyfriend or girlfriend on the Internet to visit their families during Spring Festival. The reason is that Chinese people place family in a high priority. When they visit their relatives and friends during the holiday, the elderly always ask and even urge them to create their new families. Upholding the principle of respecting the elderly, the young people don't want to argue with them and ruin the harmony of their families. Thus, some of them begin to rent a life actor on the Internet to perform as their boyfriend or girlfriend. These life actors normally charge 500 RMB to 800 RMB per day (70.24-112.38 USD). The price varies for different conditions.

9. The Largest Human Migration in the Whole Year

Chinese New Year Decoration on High-Speed Train

Every year, before and after the Chinese New Year, millions of Chinese people return to their hometowns, which causes the largest-scale human movement. The transportation system faces its busiest period, and traffic jams appear in the whole country. If you are planning to travel in China during this time, be sure to make arrangements and book tickets in advance. Our experienced experts will also do their best to help you avoid the crowds.

10. Fireworks to Welcome the New Year

Fireworks in the Night Sky

Most Chinese families set off fireworks to welcome the coming of the new year. Some cities also hold spectacular fireworks shows, like the fireworks display in Victoria Harbour, Hong Kong. Millions of dazzling fireworks fly into the sky at night, showing the Chinese people's expectations for the new year. It won't be more suitable for you to have a trip during Spring Festival if you want to appreciate the wonderful fireworks displays.

Celebrate Chinese New Year 2026 with Us

If you want to experience the interesting traditions of the Chinese New Year 2026, it's important to plan your trip in advance because of the busy traffic. Simply click here to contact us or write to trip@odynovotours.com for a personalized itinerary, and our professional experts will help you solve every problem.