Celebrating Chinese New Year at Home

Chinese New Year decorations with red lantern garland and children’s Fire Horse artwork displayed on the wall - Liz (woman) stands near the wall

The Year of the Snake has quickly slithered away and it’s now time to prepare to gallop into Chinese New Year 2026, the Year of the Fire Horse. My husband and I are Malaysian-born Chinese, where Chinese New Year is celebrated with incredible pomp and grandeur, steeped in centuries-old traditions.

Hello! I’m Liz (IG: @mummyplaytim3), mum of three lovely boys aged 9, 6 and 2, and part of the wonderful Babipur Buddy team.

Some of our fondest memories include relentless fireworks, large gatherings of family and friends, and seeing out the old year while welcoming the new through symbolic rituals and shared food. While we now celebrate far from our wider family, we’ve created our own traditions at home to keep this special time meaningful for our children. Chinese New Year is something we all look forward to each year.

The Year of the Fire Horse is traditionally associated with momentum, bold change and new opportunities. It only comes around once every 60 years, which makes it feel especially significant.

Here are a few of the ways we celebrate at home.

1. Sweet treats

Sweet foods symbolise sweetness, prosperity and a smooth year ahead. A mix of homemade and shop-bought treats works well for busy households.

Unbaked flapjack mixture with oats, dried fruit and cornflakes prepared for Chinese New Year treats

This year, my children asked for a zhuzhed-up flapjack. We used a basic flapjack recipe, adding cornflakes, raisins, cranberries and honey, then topping it with white chocolate and sprinkles. The Ecoliving Reusable Silicone Baking Liner from Babipur is perfect for baking these!

Homemade flapjack topped with white chocolate and sprinkles for Chinese New Year

We also like to include Divine gold coins and colourful Tony’s Chocolonely mini chocolates, which always feel very festive.

Chinese New Year sweet treats including flapjack, chocolate coins and mini chocolates

I like using our Elephant Box Seal & Go containers for storing treats. They’re lightweight, easy to clean, and stack neatly when not in use. They’re also ideal for baking and storing a classic Chinese New Year cake.

Elephant Box Seal & Go containers used to store homemade Chinese New Year treats

2. Arts, crafts and home décor

We usually make a mix of decorations that can be reused each year, alongside some that reflect the zodiac animal of the year ahead. Red and gold dominate our colour palette, symbolising good fortune and wealth.

Toddler finger painting a Fire Horse using red and yellow Okonorm non-toxic paints

With a little guidance from me, my two-year-old created a Fire Horse picture using ÖkoNORM finger paints, along with “blazing fire” handprints. We’ve used ÖkoNORM finger paints for years and they’re my go-to for toddlers thanks to their rich, creamy texture, ease of use and easy clean-up. They’re also non-toxic and eco-friendly, which gives me peace of mind.

Toddler holding up paint-covered hands after finger painting artwork

Finished Fire Horse handprint artwork created with red, yellow and brown paints

My nine-year-old joined in by painting his own interpretation of a Fire Horse, taking inspiration from a Pokémon character. Can you guess which one?

Child painting a Fire Horse using a watercolour paint set at a table

He used the ÖkoNORM watercolour paint set. Although the paintbrush is small, he found it easy to use, and the set was quick to pack away once finished. We really like the muted, dreamy tones, and it feels like a handy little set for travelling too.

Once dry, we added the artwork to our festive wall, decorated with red lanterns and the Chinese characters 春 (spring, youth and renewal) and 福 (blessing, good fortune and happiness).

3. Festive food

Food is one of our favourite ways to celebrate Chinese New Year, with many dishes carrying symbolic meanings connected to prosperity, abundance and longevity. It’s also a wonderful excuse to indulge.

Here are some of the symbolic meanings behind foods we enjoy:

Fish: surplus and abundance
Chicken: prosperity, togetherness and family unity
Noodles: long life
Mandarin oranges and tangerines: luck and wealth
Chinese white radish: a good start to the year
Lettuce: growing wealth
Apple: peace and harmony
Pineapple: wealth, fortune and luck
Grapes: abundance and family unity

Chopped Chinese white radish prepared for traditional Chinese New Year cooking

Bowls of Chinese white radish broth served as part of a festive meal

My husband and I usually try to recreate familiar festive dishes at home, but occasionally we’ll head out to a Chinese restaurant to soak up the Chinese New Year atmosphere and enjoy the shared spirit of the celebration.

So there we are, just a few of the ways we keep this special occasion alive in our home. I hope you’ve enjoyed reading. If you’re celebrating Chinese New Year too, we’d love to see what you’re doing. Please do share with us on social media.

Wishing you and your family a happy and prosperous Chinese New Year. May the Year of the Fire Horse bring confidence, opportunity and joy.