Celebrating Chinese New Year with Your Family

Chinese New Year is just around the corner! If you’re looking for ways to celebrate at home with your family, we’ve got you covered. Check out our list of activities that are perfect for welcoming in the year. From crafts to food to games, there’s something for everyone to enjoy. So get ready to celebrate and have some fun! Gung hay fat choi! (That’s “Happy New Year” in Cantonese.)


My family enjoys eating a good meal of Chinese food. When we were living in Alaska year-round, we were spoiled with my husband’s wife and her mother cooking up phenomenal food.

The boys still talk about the year we celebrated Chines New Year with them. One dish was so spicy that the peppers permeated the air necessitating the opening of a door when the outside temperature was below freezing. They also received a traditional red envelope with cash inside. (What child doesn’t like an unexpected gift?)

Thankfully, there are options out there to help with some of our family favorites such as potstickers and spring rolls from Ling Ling.

Celebrating Chinese New Year with Your Family

This post on Celebrating Chinese New Year was sponsored by Ling Ling, all opinions expressed in my post are my own. Affiliate links may be present in this post for your convenience.

Celebrating Chinese New Year with Your Family

There are several traditions for Chinese New Year that are easy to implement in your own home.

The date varies from January 21 to February 20 as marks the start of the Lunar New Year.  This is within a day of the second new moon before the spring equinox moon phase.

Chinese New Year falls on Tuesday, February 5 in 2019, and on Saturday, January 25 in 2020.

In 2023, it falls on Sunday, January 22, and starts the Year of the Rabbit.

2019 was the Year of the Pig. In addition to other traditional decorations, you will find pigs scattered throughout Chinese homes.

Chinese New Year: Year of the Pig

Sweep the house

Many cultures have a time when you do some ‘spring cleaning.’ For the Chinese, sweeping the house is tied with ushering out any bad luck. Just make sure you do not sweep on New Year’s Day as that could sweep out the good luck.

Give Red Envelopes

A red envelope filled with money is traditionally given to children. This is a tradition my boys experienced at that celebration a few years back. While you can purchase ones with the year on them, a plain envelope works as well.

Image by Ida Huang from Pixabay

Even if you cannot be together in person, you can still share the joy of the season by sending them a virtual gift card inside a red envelope!

Deck the Halls & Your Body with Red

Red is a lucky color and is found in decorations during this time. This includes red lanterns, red couplets, and red New Year pictures depicting images of prosperity. People wear the color red and avoid white which is associated with death.

String up red lanterns around your rooms and make it glow with festivity!

You can also hang beautiful paper cuttings near windows or doors; these bright designs usually represent good wishes for everybody in the new year!

Additionally, don’t forget about the Mandarin oranges, which are a popular symbol of luck and prosperity. Place them in fancy dishes and sets throughout your house for a dash of good vibes.

Creating an environment with Chinese New Year decorations not only welcomes the Lunar New Year, but it also adds an extra charming mood to the entire celebration.

Play Games

Image by Grimnona from Pixabay

Mahjong is a tile-based game that originated in China and has become popular around the world. The game is typically played with four players, and each player tries to create melds (sets) using tiles that feature different Chinese characters or symbols. Mahjong can be played for fun or for money, and it is a popular game to play during Chinese New Year.

Chinese Checkers is a two-player game that is similar to the Western game of checkers. The aim of the game is to capture all of your opponent’s pieces, or to block your opponent’s pieces so that they cannot make any more moves.

There are a variety of dice games that can be played for Chinese New Year. One popular game is called “Sic Bo,” which means “dice pair.” The aim of the game is to predict how many dice will show a certain number when they are rolled. Another popular dice game is called “Yahtzee,” which is similar to poker.

Dominoes is another popular game that originated in China. The game is played with tiles that have dots on them, and the goal is to match the dots on the tiles. Dominoes can be played by two to four players, and is a great game for family and friends.

Enjoy Traditional Foods

Dumplings, noodles, fish, and fruit, like oranges, are all traditional foods associated with luck and good fortune.

Dumplings are associated with wealth.
Noodles consumed whole (no biting or cutting them!) are associated with happiness and longevity.
Fish is associated with an increase in prosperity.
Oranges and other similar fruits are associated with fullness and wealth.
Spring Rolls are another food associated with wealth.

Make Dumplings Together as a Family

Making dumplings together as a family can be an exciting and delicious project! Grab your favorite ingredients – think pork, shrimp, or vegetables – and get creative in the kitchen.

While rolling out the dough for the wrappers is sometimes tricky, it’s also a fun challenge! If you have kids, let them join in and make their own creations using various fillings that appeal to them.

Whether you decide to steam them, pan fry them, or even deep fry them – when your dumplings are done cooking you’ll have a tasty treat to share together as a family.

Watch a Film Together

A movie night can be great for the family. Thankfully, there are plenty of options for festive films that fit the occasion.

Kung Fu Panda” captures the spirit of Chinese New Year by showcasing themes of courage and determination. Our family has enjoyed all three of the movies in the series.

If you prefer something more traditional, “Mulan” captures important moments in Chinese history and folklore in a timeless classic about perseverance, honor, and strength.

“Wish Dragon” is a newer animated option available on Netflix.

If your kids are older, you can find a show with plenty of kung-fu action. Just be ready to read the subtitles as these are all in Chinese.

Enter the Dragon” is a classic featuring Bruce Lee. “Ip Man” is a more modern film series that tells the story of Bruce Lee’s martial arts mentor. It may not be 100% historical, but it is plenty of fun.

Kung Fu Hustle” is a fun one that is really for the teens and young adult children in your life. Along with plenty of action, you get comedy added to the mix.

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” is a phenomenal martial arts film.

Grab some snacks, turn off the lights and get ready for a cozy night of entertainment!

Set Off Fireworks

The start of the new year is a time to celebrate and nothing screams “Happy New Year” better than hearing a cacophony of firecrackers going off!

With the snap, crackle, and snap of each firecracker, you can almost feel the energy of the holiday spirit rising in the air as it ushers in a brand new year filled with opportunity.

A few moments of quiet reflection on the past year and all its successes may also be just what’s needed before continuing onward into your next big adventure.

And afterward, of course, light up those firecrackers as an explosive way to mark the special occasion.

Chinese New Year Meal Made Easier

My cooking skills when it comes to Chinese cuisine are still pretty limited. So, finding ways to make things more easily is key for me.

Ling Ling Potstickers and Ling Ling Spring Rolls are two items I will purchase and prepare at home. And, both of them are on the list of lucky foods perfect for serving at Chinese New Year.

Ling Ling Potstickers and Ling Ling Spring Rolls

The instructions are simple and my boys enjoy the bursts of flavor from freshly sourced vegetables and savory proteins.

They are consistent in quality so we are never surprised when picking up a package from the freezer section of the local store.

Plus, they come with their own sauces made to pair with the items.

Dishing up Spring Rolls for dinner

One of the simple dishes we make for a great Chinese dinner is a stir fry with chicken and vegetables.

The veggies are a medley from the freezer section with either a combination of seasonings or a ready-made mix.

A staple dish found in Chinese restaurants here in the United States is fried rice.

Homemade Fried Rice

We have been playing around with different combinations in search of the best recipe we can make at home.

The basics of some peas, cabbage, and egg are consistent. However, the blend of items providing the underlying flavor is still in flux. I’ll share the recipe once I finish tweaking it some more.

Chinese Inspired Dishes

Subscribers to Day by Day in Our World have limited access to Chinese New Year ebook with 10 different recipes.

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What better way is there to celebrate Chinese New Year than with a joyous family gathering?

From crafting tasty dumplings together, to giving each other festive gifts and decorations, you’ll be sure to have an unforgettable start to the new year!

Invite your relatives, have some delicious food, and share stories of gratitude – after all, this time of the year is all about being thankful for what you have and looking forward to what’s in store.

Whether it’s through traditional activities like firecrackers or watching movies together, use this time as an opportunity to deepen bonds with your loved ones.

Wishing everyone a very happy Chinese New Year! Gong Hei Fat Choy!

Does your family enjoy eating authentic Asian foods?
Have you ever celebrated or learned more about Chinese New Year?

The post has been updated since the original publication date of January 30, 2019.

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