Chinese New Year is an annual celebration held to usher in the new year. It is mainly celebrated in China and other countries with a large Chinese-speaking population, such as Singapore and Thailand, but celebrations of Chinese New Year are arranged in many Chinese communities all over the world. Chinese New Year, also called Lunar New Year, starts on the first day of the new year according to the Chinese/Lunar calendar. Since this calendar is based on the phases of the moon, the date marking the start of the celebrations varies from year to year. This year, the new year starts on the 25th of January. Often referred to as the Spring Festival (春节, chūnjié) in mainland China, it is the most important holiday of the year for many Chinese people. The celebrations last for 15 days, with each day having its own special traditions and customs. Although the traditions vary according to region, there are some customs that are common everywhere. Before New Year, it is traditional to do a thorough cleaning of the house, in order to sweep away bad fortune and welcome good luck. Houses are decorated with red paper cuts, often involving themes of good fortune and happiness, as well as wealth and longevity. Red is the main colour used for decorations, since it symbolises joy, virtue, truth and sincerity. Furthermore, the word red in Chinese is homophonous with the word for prosperity, making it an auspicious colour. This is also why wearing red during New Year is common practice.

Celebrations of Chinese New Year start on New Year's Eve (this year, the 24th of January), which is most often devoted to a reunion dinner, where family and relatives, often having come a long way to get together, gather to have a meal together. This meal typically includes eight different dishes, since eight is considered a lucky number. Examples of dishes are Buddha's delight, spring rolls, steamed chicken, longevity noodles and taro cakes. In many areas, fish is an important component, since the phrase 年年有余 (may there be surpluses every year) sounds exactly the same as 年年有鱼 (let there be fish every year, both pronounced niánnián yǒu yú). In northern China, eating dumplings for New Year's is very common. In southern China, as well as in many parts of Southeast Asia, it is instead custom to eat niángāo (年糕), which is a type of glutinous rice cake. Many reunion dinners feature a hotpot, since it symbolises the coming together of a family. Fruits commonly eaten during New Year include oranges and mandarins, since their Chinese names are homophonous with the words for success and luck.

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Apart from having a meal together, activities on New Year's Eve include lighting fire crackers, as well as giving each other money in red envelopes, called hóngbāo (红包). For many, the tradition of staying up through the night in order to increase one's parents' longevity, shǒusuì (守岁), is still a common practice. In China, CCTV has broadcasted an entertainment programme called New Year's Gala on New Year's Eve every year since 1982. Watching it has become a modern tradition for many Chinese people, and it has been recognised by Guinness World Records as the largest broadcast in the world, attracting more than a billion viewers in 2018. Traditional dragon and lion dances are a prominent feature in the celebrations, and huge parades featuring floats with performers and entertainers, such as the Chingay in Singapore, are held in many Chinese communities around the world.