During Chinese New Year, people have a long list of things to do. From one week preceding the festival to the 15th day after, many Chinese New Year customs are widely observed for thousands of years. The family reunion dinner, eating dumplings, and setting off firework are the must-dos that you might know. What else interesting do the Chinese do? A timeline to show you top traditions and activities Chinese people do to celebrate Chinese New Year, including preparations, decorations, and celebration activities on Chinese New Year's Eve and Lunar New Year Day. Read the Chinese Zodiac signs. This year is the Year of the Snake. There are twelve Chinese Zodiac signs, and these are taken far more seriously than a back-of-tabloid horoscope. Here we cover the top 10 Chinese New Year activities, with preparation activities first before celebration activities. 1. New Year Shopping. Spring Festival activities, in fact, begin much earlier than the start of the festival. The most famous of which is Spring Festival shopping, similar to Christmas shopping in the West. Chinese New Year, the grandest festival for Chinese people, is celebrated for more than half a month. According to the oldest traditions, people follow a day-by-day schedule of Chinese New Year festivities from the 23rd day of the 12th lunar month, with specific things to do on certain days. The 15th day of the Chinese New Year is the Lantern Festival (元宵节 yuán xiāo jié). It traditionally marks the end of the Chinese New Year celebration. On this day, popular activities include lighting up lanterns, guessing lantern riddles, eating yuan xiao (a kind of rice ball), and enjoying time with families or lovers. Chinese New Year or Lunar New Year or Spring Festival 2025 falls on Wednesday, January 29th, 2025. Snake is the new year animal. Learn more about Chinese Lunar New Year traditions, taboos, food, zodiac signs, and greetings. There are plenty of Chinese New Year activities that everyone can enjoy, from kids to adults to seniors. Bring some Chinese New Year cheer to your party gathering with activities like paper lantern making, traditional dragon dancing, fortune cookie decorating, and more. Get the top 10 picks of the most popular Chinese New Year activities now. From Dec. 23 in lunar calendar to Chinese New Year Eve, people carry out a complete sweeping of the house. People sweep the floor, furniture, and walls and throw away something old, which means to sweep away bad luck and welcome New Year. Read the top 15 Chinese New Year Traditional activities below: 1. House Cleaning. In the days leading up to Chinese New Year, Chinese families sweep the floors, wash clothes and other things, clean spiders' webs, and dredge ditches. Here’s a comprehensive guide to the best Chinese New Year events and things to do in Singapore for CNY 2025. Istana Chinese New Year Open House. Date: 2 February 2025 Location: Istana, Istana Road, Singapore Admission: Free (with ticketed guided tour) Experience the grandeur of the Istana during Chinese New Year with the Istana Chinese New Some of those Chinese New Year taboos will only sustain for first few days of the festival, while others may be kept till the Lantern Festival on the 15th day of the 1st lunar month, or even for a whole month. Hereunder are 16 things you should never do during the Chinese New Year. Take a pause from your new year diet plan to indulge in Winter Restaurant Week specials. Also, there’s a ton of Lunar New Year celebrations happening around town, and a new LEGO exhibition all ages can enjoy. Best Things to Do This Week and Weekend January 27–February 2. Metropolitan Washington Winter Restaurant Week. Killing should be avoided from the 1st to 15th of the Lunar New Year as blood is considered an ill omen, which will cause misfortunes such as a knife wound, or a bloody disaster. People usually kill chickens, ducks, pigs, and fish before Chinese New Year or on Chinese New Year's Eve. Complete Set Include - This chinese new year banner set includes 1 set red and gold happy chinese new year banner, 6pcs chinese character and traditional gold snake decor paper fans and 6pcs chinese new year paper lanterns. All parts are included in this set, packaged individually with all tools provided. Easy DIY assembly is required Image by Los Angeles Zoo. The Los Angeles Zoo often highlights Lunar New Year through live performances. This year’s event will include Chinese, Korean, and Vietnamese dance performances by Asian Arts Talents, a “Zoo-diac tour” where you can see all the animals of the Chinese zodiac, education stations, and the chance to add your hopes for the New Year to the Wall of Well Wishes. The Museum of Chinese in America is the place to go if you want to learn more about the Chinese culture and Chinese history in NYC. The main and permanent exhibition With a Single Step: Stories in the Making of America is a great place to find out more about the last 160 years of Chinese history in NYC. Chinese New Year, Lunar New Year, or Spring Festival, is an annual event based on the lunar calendar. In 2025, Chinese New Year falls on the 29th – 30th of January (Wednesday and Thursday). However, the festive period usually lasts 15 days, with the most significant celebrations and public holidays occurring during the first three days (29th The annual Chinese New Year Night Parade is back to usher in the Year of the Snake with a vibrant celebration on January 29. A pre-parade street party will get everyone excited from 6pm onwards Luckily, we’ve been busy looking for the best Chinese New Year events and things to do for the fam, so you can start planning now. Here’s our list of all the best ways to celebrate the Year of the Snake with kids in Singapore and enjoy the best things to do with the family over the holiday.
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