Year of the Fire Horse
Written by Miriam Frank, CAI‘s Research & Development Specialist
新年好！马年大吉！Xīn nián hǎo! Mǎ nián dà jí!
Happy New Year! Wishing you good fortune and happiness in the Year of the Horse.
Lunar New Year, also known as the Spring Festival, begins on February 17 and continues for fifteen days, culminating in the glowing celebration of the Lantern Festival. It is the most important holiday of the year, a time when millions travel home to reunite with family and loved ones.
The Year of the Fire Horse highlights qualities of diligence, courage, and resilience. The horse embodies forward motion, urging us to press on without hesitation and without fear of obstacles. It is a year that calls for renewal, fresh opportunities, and personal growth.
Across China during Spring Festival, regional diversity shapes the ways people celebrate, especially through food and performance traditions. Lion dancing is particularly popular in Guangdong and Hong Kong. In many homes, dishes are first presented as offerings to a Daoist deity before the meal begins, honoring ancestors and inviting blessings for the year ahead.
I remember celebrating Spring Festival either in Beijing or in Shandong, the northern province known as the birthplace of Confucius. The holiday is marked by visits to relatives and friends, each exchange filled with warm wishes for prosperity. Elders present children with red envelopes containing money, often in lucky even-numbered amounts. At the heart of it all is the preparation of the reunion feast, bringing generations together around the table.
In the days before the new year arrives, streets glow with stalls selling red lanterns in many different sizes and designs. Red couplets (chūnlián) are carefully hung on doorways, their poetic phrases inviting happiness, health, and abundance into the home.
New Year’s Eve hums with activity. In the north, families gather to fold dumplings; in the south, many prepare sweet glutinous rice balls (tāngyuán) that symbolize togetherness. I was always fascinated by the many elegant ways dumplings could be wrapped and eager to learn each technique. Fillings vary from savory vegetables and meats to occasional sweet surprises representing a joyful, prosperous future. Whoever discovers the sweet dumpling is promised an extra measure of luck. Sometimes a coin is hidden inside, adding excitement and laughter to the meal.
Each day of the festival carries traditions that guide families toward good fortune in the months ahead. I will always treasure memories of this joyful season—crackling fireworks chasing away bad luck, brilliant red lanterns lighting the night, and tables overflowing with delicious dumplings shared among loved ones. It is a celebration of connection, hope, and the promise of a new beginning.
