Hundreds of millions of people across Asia and around the globe are celebrating the Lunar New Year today, February 17, 2026, marking the transition from the Year of the Snake to the Year of the Fire Horse in the Chinese zodiac. The 15-day Spring Festival kicked off with spectacular celebrations including fireworks, temple prayers, dragon dances, and family reunions spanning from Beijing to Buenos Aires. In Hong Kong, devotees lined up at midnight to light incense and make wishes at temples, while Vietnam celebrated Tet with musical countdown performances and dazzling fireworks displays that lit up bridges and skyscrapers. Taiwan marked the occasion with symbolic 108-bell rings and floral offerings, and thousands gathered in Argentina’s Chinatown for martial arts exhibitions and traditional lion dances. China is expecting a record 9.5 billion passenger trips during the 40-day spring festival period as families travel to reunite and celebrate together.
The Year of the Fire Horse represents a powerful energetic shift, symbolizing strength, passion, speed, and bold forward movement after the more introspective Year of the Snake. In Chinese astrology, the Fire Horse combination occurs only once every 60 years—the last one was in 1966—and carries intense energy that encourages courage, independence, and decisive action. People born in the Year of the Horse are said to be hardworking, warm-hearted, confident, and independent, with the horse representing heroism and talent in Chinese culture. The celebrations will continue through March 3 with the Lantern Festival, which marks the first full moon of the year and the official end of the Spring Festival. This beloved holiday, celebrated as Seollal in Korea and Tet in Vietnam, brings communities together worldwide with themes of renewal, family bonds, good fortune, and hope for the future.
