Chinese New Year Traditions You can Follow: How to Celebrate Like a Chinese Family

Chinese New Year, also known as Lunar New Year or Spring Festival, is the most important traditional holiday in Chinese culture, a time filled with family, symbolism, and centuries-old customs that usher in good fortune for the year ahead. Falling between late January and mid-February each year, the celebration marks the beginning of the lunar calendar and lasts up to 15 days, culminating in the Lantern Festival. Whether you’re celebrating with family or joining friends who observe these traditions, understanding the customs can deepen your appreciation for this vibrant cultural event.

1. Thorough House Cleaning: Sweep Away the Old

In the weeks leading up to Chinese New Year, families across China and in diaspora communities begin by cleansing their homes from top to bottom. This tradition isn’t about spring cleaning for tidiness alone — it symbolises sweeping away the misfortunes of the past year to make room for good luck and prosperity in the new one.

However, there’s an important nuance: cleaning on New Year’s Day itself is avoided, as it is believed that sweeping or washing on the first day of the year might sweep away the good fortune you’ve just ushered in.

2. Red Decorations Everywhere: Symbols of Luck

Red dominates Chinese New Year décor because it symbolizes good luck, happiness, and protection against evil spirits. Homes and public spaces are adorned with red lanterns, paper cutouts, and spring couplets (chunlian) — poetic blessings written in black calligraphy on red paper, placed around doors and windows.

One particularly iconic symbol is the red “Fu” character (福), which means “fortune” or “blessing.” Families often display it upside down (倒福) because the word for “upside down” in Chinese sounds like “arrive,” so the display is meant to signify that good fortune has arrived.

3. Reunion Dinner: The Heart of the Celebration

Few traditions are as emotionally meaningful as the Reunion Dinner (年夜饭 – Nián Yè Fàn) on New Year’s Eve. This feast is often considered the most important meal of the year, bringing together family members — sometimes traveling long distances — to share dishes that symbolize prosperity, longevity, and unity.

Traditional dishes often have symbolic meanings:

• Fish (鱼 – yú): Served whole and often left partly uneaten to symbolize surplus and abundance throughout the year.
• Dumplings (饺子 – jiǎozi): In northern China especially, these resemble ancient gold ingots and symbolize wealth.
• Sticky rice cake (年糕 – niángāo): Its name is a homophone for “getting higher every year,” representing progress and growth.
• Longevity noodles: Long noodles symbolize a long and healthy life.

This dinner isn’t merely about eating — it’s about familial connection, continuity, and shared hope for the future.

4. Red Envelopes: Blessings and Good Fortune

One of the most beloved customs for children and families alike is the exchange of red envelopes (红包 – hóngbāo). Elders present these brightly coloured envelopes filled with money to children, unmarried younger relatives, and sometimes friends. These gifts are not just money, they’re symbols of good wishes, luck, health, and success for the coming year.

The amount inside is usually an even number, odd numbers and the number four are traditionally avoided because of their associated superstitions about bad luck or death.

5. Fireworks and the Legend of Nian

Bright, loud, and dazzling, fireworks and firecrackers are among the most iconic elements of Chinese New Year. Their use is rooted in an ancient legend about the mythical beast Nian, which was believed to descend upon villages at the start of each year. Legend has it that Nian feared the color red, fire, and loud noises, hence the origins of the fiery tradition intended to scare away evil spirits and usher in a safe, prosperous new year.

Even today, lighting firecrackers where permitted continues as a way to chase away misfortune and welcome joy and luck.

6. Lion and Dragon Dances: Symbolic Performances

No Lunar New Year celebration is complete without the dynamic, rhythmic lion and dragon dances seen in parades, festivals, and community gatherings. These performances combine acrobatics, music, and elaborate costumes. In Chinese culture, dragons symbolize power, dignity, and prosperity, while lions are believed to bring good fortune and chase away evil.

When performed, these dances are often accompanied by loud drums and gongs, all to enhance good luck and joyful energy.

7. Paying New Year Visits: Strengthening Bond

In the days immediately after the New Year’s Day, families and friends make the tradition of bainian (拜年), paying visits to one another to offer greetings and well-wishes. This period becomes an important social ritual that connects extended families and communities, allowing everyone to express mutual respect and hopes for health and happiness.

When visiting, it’s customary to bring small gifts such as fruits (especially oranges, which symbolize wealth) or sweets, often wrapped in auspicious red or golden colours.

8. Wearing New Clothes: A Fresh Start

Many people also buy and wear new clothes, particularly in bright colors like red as part of celebrating Chinese New Year. This tradition symbolises a fresh start and the departure from the hardships of the old year, and it reflects the optimism with which families welcome the year ahead.

9. Lantern Festival The Finale

Though the main holiday period starts with New Year’s Eve, the festivities culminate 15 days later with the Lantern Festival. On this night, people carry lanterns, enjoy colourful lantern displays, and eat sweet rice balls called tāngyuán (汤圆), symbolising family unity and completeness.

The Lantern Festival isn’t just beautiful, it marks the end of the New Year celebrations and reinforces the themes of togetherness, prosperity, and light.

Celebrate Chinese new year with dear asia london

Bring these Chinese New Year traditions to life and make your celebration truly memorable! Join our Chinese New Year celebration to experience traditional cultural craft and festive fun like a Chinese family. Let us organise a special Chines New Year experience or workshop for your team or community, complete with decorations, crafty workshop, and authentic customs that capture the spirit of the Lunar New Year. Whether you want to learn, celebrate, or share the joy with others, Dear Asia London can help you welcome the new year with culture and unforgettable memories.