1. THE CELEBRATION CONTINUES: 2026 Lunar New Year will begin in February
The Times Square ball drop and elaborate firework celebrations across the world may have ushered in the new year of 2026, but the Year of the Horse on the Chinese calendar has yet to begin.
The Lunar New Year, an international holiday observed throughout many Asian countries – and celebrated across the United States – not only falls on different dates every year but lasts well beyond one night. In 2026, the 15-day festival begins Feb.17 and will be a time for adherents to usher in a new year with a variety of cultural traditions.
The holiday is celebrated in many Asian cultures, including in China, South Korea, Vietnam, Singapore, Malaysia, the Philippines and Indonesia. Each culture has its own name for the new year. For instance, the Lunar New Year in China is called the Spring Festival, or chunjié. South Korea refers to the Lunar New Year as Seollal. In Vietnam, the Lunar New Year is called Tết, which is short for Tết Nguyên Dán…