Celebrating Chinese New Year with family is a great way to enjoy time together, decorate, cook, eat and have fun. This year, when we can’t go out, the uplifting message, beautiful decorations and delicious food make it a fun, educational and hopeful even to celebrate at home with children.
When is Chinese New Year 2021?
Chinese New Year 2021 starts on Friday 12 February, a day that kicks off 15 days of celebrations! The timing is based on the lunar calendar so it changes every year. It falls between 21 January and 20 February.
How do you celebrate?
Chinese New Year, also known as Spring Festival, celebrates the start of the traditional Chinese calendar. Celebrations include praying for a good harvest, setting off fireworks at midnight to scare away a mythical monster named Nian (年), burning fake money in honour of deceased relatives to bring them good luck in the afterlife and eat. Children are gifted money in red envelopes.
How to celebrate at home
- Decorate your house with red decorations — Red dragons, red lanterns, red chilli peppers, red tassels
- Discover everyone’s zodiac symbol – In the Chinese zodiac, you are assigned an animal based on the year of your birth. Learn what the characteristics of you and your children’s signs are and whether you think they apply!
- Eat dumplings and other Chinese food – Traditionally people would eat dumplings for the first five days of the Spring Festival. Celebrate on by making your own or buying some!
- Do crafts – Making dragons, fans and lanterns are just some of the fun crafts you can do. The last day of the Spring Festival is the Lantern Festival, so make lanterns or one of the other fun crafts in our list below
- Give children the gift of money – Hand them over in traditional red envelopes
- Learn how to say Happy New Year in Chinese – It’s a challenge to get right. The one with the best pronunciation wins a prize!
What to eat for Chinese New Year
Dumplings are a traditional food for the Spring Festival (we like the look of this Chinese dumpling recipe from The Spruce Eats — tell us if you have a favourite one!) and there are several other foods that are considered particularly lucky. These include fish, spring rolls, sweet rice balls, new year rice cake and longevity noodles. Other dishes are simply delicious ways to enjoy the occasion. Check out these recipes:
23 easy and delicious Chinese New Year recipes you’ll love
Peppery turkey and vegetable stir fry
A quick dish: Hot chilli vegetable pancakes
Why lanterns are important for Chinese New Year
The Lantern Festival is held on the final day of the celebrations. The red lanterns symbolise good luck and the letting go of the owner’s past selves. Be sure to hang plenty around your home to set the mood. (We have a couple of versions you can make in the crafts list below.)
Crafts for Chinese New Year
11 fun Chinese New Year crafts and printables
Pretty Chinese New Year crafts that don’t require mad art skills