Overview
- The Year of the Fire Horse starts on February 17, 2026 and runs through February 5, 2027, marking the next turn of the lunar calendar.
- New York City listings cite a free firecracker ceremony at Sara D. Roosevelt Park near Chinatown on February 17 from 11:00 to 15:30.
- The Chinatown Lunar New Year Parade in New York is scheduled for Sunday, March 1 at 1 p.m., starting at Mott Street and Canal Street and concluding near Sara D. Roosevelt Park.
- Common practices include cleaning homes before the holiday, pausing sweeping on the first day, giving red envelopes, and decorating in red and gold to invite luck and prosperity.
- Families often hold reunion dinners with symbolic dishes such as long noodles for longevity and rice for abundance, while lion and dragon dances aim to ward off misfortune, with similar public celebrations noted in cities such as San Francisco and Los Angeles and across NYC neighborhoods and venues.