🏮 Lunar New Year
Late January – February Grades K–5
Lunar New Year starts the new year on the lunar calendar. It is celebrated by Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese and other communities in America and around the world.
📅 Next dates
- Tuesday, February 17, 2026
- Saturday, February 6, 2027
- Wednesday, January 26, 2028
Dates follow the Moon and can differ by a day depending on where you live.
📖 The story
The date follows the Moon, so it falls between late January and mid-February. In China it is the Spring Festival; in Korea it is Seollal; in Vietnam it is Tết.
Each year in the Chinese zodiac is named after one of 12 animals: rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, goat, monkey, rooster, dog and pig. Families clean their homes to sweep away bad luck, share big meals and give children red envelopes with money for good luck.
✨ Traditions
- Red envelopes
- Lion and dragon dances
- Family reunion dinners
- Fireworks and lanterns
- Dumplings
✂️ Activities
Paper Lantern
- Fold a red paper in half the long way.
- Cut slits from the fold, stopping an inch from the edge.
- Open it, roll it into a tube, staple it and add a handle.
Find Your Zodiac Animal
- Look up your birth year in the zodiac.
- Draw your animal and write one fun fact about it.
Lunar New Year quiz
Why does the date change every year?
How many animals are in the Chinese zodiac?
What color are lucky envelopes?
What is Lunar New Year called in Vietnam?
💭 Let’s write
What would you do to welcome good luck into a new year?
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