CNN：2026年农历新年指南，带您迈入马年

Core Viewpoint - The article provides a comprehensive guide to the Lunar New Year celebrations in 2026, emphasizing the significance of the Year of the Horse and detailing various traditions and customs associated with the festival [1][3]. Group 1: Lunar New Year Overview - The Lunar New Year, considered the most important festival for the Chinese and global Chinese communities, begins on February 17, 2026, marking a 15-day celebration [3]. - The Chinese zodiac operates on a 12-year cycle, with each year represented by an animal; 2026 is the Year of the Horse, following the Year of the Snake in 2025 and preceding the Year of the Goat in 2027 [4]. Group 2: Traditions and Customs - Common practices during the Lunar New Year include wearing red clothing, hanging red banners, and setting off firecrackers to ward off evil spirits, stemming from the legend of the "Nian" monster [12]. - Preparations for the festival begin about a week before, with activities such as making festive cakes and cleaning the house to remove bad luck from the previous year [15][19]. - The New Year's Eve dinner features dishes symbolizing good fortune, such as fish and dumplings, with variations in regional cuisines across China [23][26]. Group 3: Celebration Activities - The first few days of the Lunar New Year are dedicated to visiting family and friends, exchanging gifts, and distributing red envelopes filled with money to unmarried individuals, believed to bring good luck [30][31]. - The seventh day of the Lunar New Year is celebrated as "Renri," or the birthday of humanity, with various traditional foods prepared [34]. - The festival culminates in the Lantern Festival on March 3, 2026, marking the end of the celebrations and symbolizing the arrival of spring [36][39].