Traditions
This color dominates Chinese New Year decorations because it symbolizes good fortune and wards off evil spirits.
What is red?
These are eaten because their shape resembles gold ingots, symbolizing wealth.
What are dumplings (jiaozi)?
2026 is the Year of the Horse combined with this powerful element.
What is Fire?
This number is considered extremely lucky because it sounds like the word for "prosperity."
What is 8?
This festival falls on the 15th day of the 8th lunar month and celebrates the harvest moon with lanterns and mooncakes.
What is the Mid-Autumn Festival?
Chinese New Year celebrations officially last this many days, ending with the Lantern Festival.
What is 15 days?
This whole animal is often served at reunion dinner and must be left unfinished to represent surplus for the coming year.
What is fish?
These three zodiac signs are predicted to be the luckiest in 2026: Dog, Tiger, and this animal.
What is Goat/Sheep?
This number is avoided because it sounds like the word for "death."
What is 4?
This festival on the 5th day of the 5th lunar month features dragon boat races and commemorates poet Qu Yuan.
What is the Dragon Boat Festival (Duanwu)?
The Chinese zodiac repeats every this many years, cycling through all the animals. What is 12 years?
What is 12 years?
Long noodles are eaten without cutting them to symbolize this.
What is long life / longevity?
These three zodiac signs will have the most challenging year: Horse, Ox, and this animal that's the Horse's opposite.
What is Rat?
Doing this on New Year's Day is considered bad luck because you might wash away your good this.
What is washing your hair?
This "tomb sweeping" holiday in early April is when families visit and clean ancestral graves.
What is Qingming Festival?
Children receive these red packets filled with money, traditionally given in even amounts.
What are hongbao (red envelopes)?
These citrus fruits are exchanged during Chinese New Year because their name sounds like "gold" in Cantonese.
What are oranges / tangerines?
The Horse is this number in the 12-year zodiac cycle.
What is seventh?
Giving someone a clock as a gift is taboo because it sounds like this phrase.
What is "attending a funeral"?
This romantic festival on the 7th day of the 7th lunar month.
What is Chinese Valentines Day (Qixi Festival)?
This mythical beast called "Nian" is the reason for firecrackers and loud celebrations—people do this to scare it away.
What is make loud noises?
This sticky rice cake's name "nian gao" sounds like a phrase meaning this.
What is "higher year" / growth / rising prosperity?
While red is traditional for New Year, some feng shui masters recommend wearing these tones in 2026 to balance the Fire Horse's intense energy.
What are earth tones / blue / white / metallic colors?
Wearing this colour during Chinese New Year is considered bad luck as it's associated with mourning.
What is white?
This winter solstice festival is considered as important as Chinese New Year in southern China, where families gather to make tangyuan.
What is the winter solstice?