When is Lunar New Year 2025 and where can you celebrate it in Australia?

Lunar New Year celebrations are taking place across Australia this month, as Chinese and other Asian communities prepare to welcome the Year of the Snake. In cities across Australia and the world, people will enjoy food, participate in festivities, and some will receive red envelopes filled with cash.

Lunar New Year, also known as Chinese New Year or Spring Festival, marks the start of a new year in the Chinese lunar calendar. This New Year is a holiday in much of East Asia, including Korea, Singapore, Vietnam, Thailand and Malaysia, and celebrations are held in other countries around the world. Each year corresponds to one of the twelve zodiac animals. This year is the Year of the Snake, 2024 is the Year of the Dragon, and 2026 will be the Year of the Horse. In recent years, Lunar New Year has also been referred to as Chinese New Year, in recognition that it is not only celebrated by the Chinese.

This year's Lunar New Year is on Wednesday, January 29. The date of Lunar New Year changes every year. Next year, it will be on February 17. Billions of people celebrate Lunar New Year each year. In China, there is a week-long holiday for Lunar New Year, and millions of people return to their hometowns to share food, set off fireworks, and of course, give red envelopes filled with cash. Asian communities around the world, including in Australia, also like to celebrate this tradition with festivities, markets, and food.

Lunar New Year celebrations are planned across Australia, with variations between cities. You can check with your local council for events near you, and here are some celebrations in major cities. Sydney’s Lunar New Year celebrations will start on January 29 and run for 19 days. The City of Sydney claims it is one of the largest Lunar New Year celebrations outside of Asia. Highlights include the Haymarket street festival and the annual Dragon Boat races. There will also be lion dances, with dancers leaping on elevated poles. Burwood in Sydney’s inner west will host a Lunar New Year street party on Friday, January 31, with events continuing through the following week.

Melbourne’s Chinatown will also host festive traditions, lively displays and cultural experiences. On January 30, the public can watch lion dances from 10 am, starting at Mary Martin Bookshop in Little Lonsdale Street. From February 2, the city will host the Lunar New Year Festival between Lonsdale and Bourke streets, and on Little Bourke Street from Swanston Street to Exhibition Street. Brisbane will host a Lunar New Year festival with free live entertainment, music and a cultural market. In many cultures, each year in the calendar is associated with one of the twelve zodiac animals. This year is the Year of the Snake. Here are some of the upcoming Lunar New Years: 2025 - Year of the Snake, 2026 - Year of the Horse, 2027 - Year of the Sheep, 2028 - Year of the Monkey, 2029 - Year of the Rooster.

Some Lunar New Year traditions include cleaning the house before guests arrive, buying gifts, and decorating the home with festive colors. In some countries, children receive red envelopes filled with money from older relatives. On Lunar New Year’s day, fireworks are set off, families gather for a reunion dinner, and friends and relatives are visited. Some traditions are more superstitious: some people avoid washing their hair on Lunar New Year’s day, and some also avoid the number four because the pronunciation of four in Chinese sounds similar to “death.”