This week, Lunar New Year celebrations will mark the annual celebration in Manchester, which this year falls on Tuesday, 17th February.
On February 14th and 15th February, Manchester’s Chinatown will host a weekend of festivities including the much-loved dragon parade. The city centre district will be transformed into a festive wonderland with red lanterns, music, performances and family-friendly activities throughout the two days to celebrate the official start of the Year of the Horse. The event is also known as Spring Festival and as Lunar New Year to other Far Eastern countries.
When is Lunar New Year?
The date of the Lunar New Year differs every year. In 2026 it occurs on 17th February and is the year of the horse. The horse is the symbol of forward movement, independence and endurance. More specifically, 2026 is the Year of the Fire Horse, a rare combination that only returns once every 60 years.
In many cultures, each year is also associated with an animal from the zodiac. Often the animals are the same across different Asian countries, including China, South Korea, North Korea, Singapore and Cambodia. This system for naming years has been in use for about the last 2000 years, but traditionally dates back to 2637 BC when the calendar was supposed to have been invented. For the little ones, here’s some great information from CBBC
For more information or if you’d like to share your Lunar story with us to publish in our newsletter, please get in touch, we’d love to hear from you. Send a WhatsApp message to 07418 367 396, email info@s4bmanchester.co.uk, visit the S4B housing office, or give us a call on 0300 555 0128.