Lunar New Year, also known as Chinese New Year, is the biggest and most significant holiday for Asian communities all over the world, where families get together from far and wide, cleaning out bad luck from the previous year, and making room for good luck and prosperity in the year ahead. In 2026, the holiday begins on February 17th and ends on March 3rd.

Lunar New Year is celebrated with traditions like decorating homes with red banners, hanging lanterns, and setting off fireworks. Fireworks are a big part of the holiday and are meant to scare away bad spirits. Lion dances are also a major tradition. These are big performances where people dance inside lion costumes and perform with long dragon puppets. Families often share a big dinner on New Year's Eve and exchange red envelopes filled with money. All of this symbolizes good fortune, joy, and unity.

The celebration typically lasts about 15 days, leading up to the Lantern Festival. A big theme throughout the holiday is family, hope for good fortune, and remembrance. The lanterns can also represent letting go of your past and welcoming the future, and the holiday overall is deeply tied to families gathering together.

A common greeting during this time is "gong xi fa cai," which means “Congratulations, I hope you get rich this year” or “Wishing you happiness and prosperity.” There’s a legend tied to the holiday about a monster called the Nian who would come into town, and people would use fireworks to scare it away. People would also use the dragon and lion dances to scare away Nian.