Chinese New Year 2026: Chinese Lantern Festival is Tuesday, March 3, 2026

The Chinese Lantern Festival Day

2026 is the 4723th Chinese year. 2026 Chinese New Year Day is on Tuesday, February 17, 2026. Chinese New Year Day is a new moon day, which is the first lunar day. The 15th lunar day of the first lunar month is Tuesday, March 3, 2026. This date is the Chinese Lantern Festival.

The Lantern Festival is called Yuan-Xiao Festival in China. This is because Chinese eat Yuan-Xiao on this day. Yuan-Xiao looks and tastes like Tang-Yuan (See Winter Solstice - Tang-Yuan Day). The difference is the way they made.

The Lantern Festival is also called San-Yuan (upper period of the year) Festival in Taoism. This day is the birthday of the Heaven Officer who blesses human luck. So many people have a worship ceremony at home and some go to Taoism temple pray for luck.

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Yuan-Xiao Festival is a traditional Chinese festival going back to the Han Dynasty of over 2000 years ago. There is a story about the Lantern Festival. A beautiful heavenly bird flew down a village and was killed. The God of Heaven was very anger and wanted to burn down the entire village on the 15th lunar day. One wise guy advised every family hang candle lanterns around the house, carried lantern on the street, burn fire outside to explode the firecracker at the 15th lunar night. The soldiers of the God of Heaven saw the village was on fire from the heaven, and returned back to the heaven. The village survived and people keep the lantern activity on this day every year.

Today, not too many children carry the candle lanterns on the night of 15th lunar day. But lantern displays are shown in the town center square or next to the temple. The most popular lantern is the animal symbol of the Chinese calendar year. The gods, saints and fairy of Taoism or historical figures are popular and common subjects.

Besides the lantern display, a traditional riddle games will be held in the temple. The questions are related with to the lantern displays, news or popular persons in town. When the game begins, the person who figures out the answers first, can win a price.

Lantern laser show, flying sky lantern, mass firecrackers, fireworks and music concerts are essential activities. The events continue all night long. After Lantern Festival night, people need to back to the normal life. Students will end of the winter vacation around this day.

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2026 Chinese New Year Dates and Predictions

2027 Chinese New Year is on Saturday, February 6, 2027. 2027 is the Red Sheep year.
2028 Chinese New Year is on Wednesday, January 26, 2028. 2028 is the Brown Monkey year.
2029 Chinese New Year is on Tuesday, February 13, 2029. 2029 is the Brown Chicken year.
2030 Chinese New Year is on Sunday, February 3, 2030. 2030 is the White Dog year.
2031 Chinese New Year is on Thursday, January 23, 2031. 2031 is the White Pig year.

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