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Lunar New Year

Lunar New Year 2025 and 2026

Lunar New Year is a major celebration in many parts of Asia. But its celebration is also spreading in Australia, where a sizable Chinese and Asian population now exists. Lunar New Year is not a public holiday in Australia, but it is becoming more widely observed.

YearDateDayHoliday
202529 JanWedLunar New Year
202617 FebTueLunar New Year
Please scroll down to end of page for previous years' dates.

The date of Lunar New Year is generally in late January or early February. It is also known as the Spring Festival, based on the timing of the seasons in the Northern Hemisphere. In Australia, the Lunar New Year Spring Festival falls in mid-to-late summer. Lunar New Year is actually celebrated for 15 consecutive days, but the first three days are most important.

Each Lunar New Year is designated as “the year of“ one of the 12 animals of the Chinese Zodiac, which animal is supposed to characterise that year and all those born in it.

Lunar New Year is the most important annually recurring festival for people of Chinese ancestry all over the world. It has been celebrated for over 1,000 years – possibly much longer, and the traditions involved are deeply ingrained in Chinese culture. For many, it is also a religious holiday, full of prayers, offerings, and other acts of devotion.

Australia’s Chinese and Asian communities burst forth to celebrate it in a grand manner in major cities across the country. Celebrations are especially prominent in the “China-town” locations of each city. Shopping centres are also increasingly marking the season with decorations and sales,

In Melbourne, there is a 10-day celebration full of dragon dances, Chinese traditional music and more. The dragon parade is centred at Queensbridge Square. In Sydney, the celebrations go on for 17 days and are attended by over a million people. It features lion dances, firecrackers, food fairs, karaoke, a dragon boat race, and a “Korean aerial theatre”.

There are additional celebrations in Hobart, Adelaide, Darwin, Perth, Brisbane, and elsewhere where significant numbers of Chinese and Asian Australians reside.

Previous Years

YearDateDayHoliday
202410 FebSatLunar New Year
202322 JanSunLunar New Year
20221 FebTueLunar New Year
202112 FebFriLunar New Year
202025 JanSatLunar New Year
20195 FebTueLunar New Year