The 15-Day Celebration of Chinese New Year 2025

Here's how to celebrate your 15 days of Chinese New Year: enjoy family feasts, give red envelopes, light firecrackers, honor ancestors, and end with the glowing Lantern Festival!

Day 1: Beginning of the New Year (初一, Chūyī)

• Activities:

  • Family visits, honoring ancestors, and giving blessings.

  • Firecrackers are set off to ward off evil spirits.

  • Elders give red packets (hóngbāo) to children for good luck.

  • Meat-free meals are common as a sign of purification.

• Symbolism:

  • Welcoming the gods of heaven and earth.

Day 2: Welcoming the Son-in-Law (初二, Chū’èr)

• Activities:

  • Married daughters visit their parents with their husbands and children.

  • Offerings are made to ancestors.

  • Special prayers for wealth and good fortune are conducted.

• Symbolism:

  • Strengthening family bonds.

Day 3: Day of the Red Mouth (赤口, Chìkǒu)

• Activities:

  • Traditionally avoided for visiting others, as it's believed arguments are more likely.

  • Some families stay home or visit temples to pray for peace.

• Symbolism:

  • Avoiding disputes and bad luck.

Day 4: Return of the Kitchen God (初四, Chūsì)

• Activities:

  • Offerings are made to the Kitchen God (灶神, Zào Shén) upon his return from reporting to heaven.

  • Preparations for welcoming the deities the next day.

• Symbolism:

  • Respecting deities and maintaining household blessings.

Day 5: Birthday of the God of Wealth (初五, Chūwǔ)

• Activities:

  • Businesses reopen, accompanied by firecrackers to invite wealth.

  • Dumplings are often eaten, as they resemble gold ingots.

• Symbolism:

  • Celebrating wealth and prosperity.

Day 6: Sending Away the Ghost of Poverty (初六, Chūliù)

• Activities:

  • Cleaning the house to symbolically rid it of poverty.

  • Visiting friends and family resumes.

• Symbolism:

  • Clearing out the old to make room for new opportunities.

Day 7: Renri (人日, Rénrì)

• Activities:

  • Celebrating "Everyone's Birthday", as the 7th day is considered the day humans were created.

  • People eat yusheng (鱼生), especially in Singapore and Malaysia, symbolizing prosperity.

• Symbolism:

  • Wishing health and longevity for all.

Day 8: Prayers to the Jade Emperor (初八, Chūbā)

• Activities:

  • Offerings are made to the Jade Emperor (玉皇大帝) in the evening.

  • Many families hold reunions to mark the occasion.

• Symbolism:

  • Seeking blessings and protection.

Day 9: Celebrating the Jade Emperor’s Birthday (初九, Chūjiǔ)

• Activities:

• Particularly important among the Hokkien community.

• Elaborate rituals, including incense and food offerings, are held.

• Symbolism:

  • Honoring the Jade Emperor for blessings and health.

Day 10-12: Continuation of Festivities

• Day 10 (初十): A day for more feasts with friends and family.

• Day 11 (十一): Sons-in-law host meals for their parents-in-law.

• Day 12 (十二): Preparations begin for the Lantern Festival.

Day 13: Purification Day (初十三, Chūshísān)

• Activities:

  • Simple vegetarian meals are eaten to cleanse the body after indulgent feasting.

  • Homes and altars are cleaned.

• Symbolism:

  • Purifying the body and mind.

Day 14: Preparation for the Lantern Festival

• Activities:

  • Families prepare lanterns, decorations, and riddles.

  • Food preparation for the festival.

• Symbolism:

  • Anticipation and hope.

Day 15: Lantern Festival (元宵节, Yuánxiāo Jié)

• Activities:

  • Lantern displays and riddle-solving.

  • Eating tangyuan (glutinous rice balls) to symbolize family unity.

  • Dragon and lion dances, fireworks, and other festive events.

• Symbolism:

  • Celebrating unity, joy, and the first full moon of the year.

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