Lunar New Year in Vancouver

The Lunar New Year is in January or February each year and it’s celebrated by a number of cultures including the Chinese. It’s also a big event in Vancouver.

In 2025 the start of the Lunar New Year was on Wednesday, January 29th. This year, according to the Chinese Zodiac, it’s the Year of the Snake. Lunar New Year in 2026 falls on a Tuesday, February 17 and it will be the Year of the Horse.

This article contains information about Lunar New Year in general as well as a list of things to do and see during the holiday season in the Lower Mainland.

Other articles that might be of interest include Lunarfest Vancouver, Chinese New Year in Vancouver and Vancouver’s Chinatown Spring Festival Parade.

Lunar New Year in Vancouver

Lunar New Year Celebrations in the Lower Mainland

A number of East-Asian cultures celebrate Lunar New Year including the Chinese, Koreans and Vietnamese. It’s the same in Singapore, Brunei, Taiwan and Tibet, and other places with large Chinese populations like Malaysia, Thailand, the Philippines and Indonesia. It’s also a big occasion in Canada, especially in cities like Vancouver and Richmond.

Lunar New Year Events in the City of Vancouver

The following events celebrating the Lunar New Year took place in and around Vancouver in 2025:

Lunarfest Vancouver – a series of events and activities happened between January 27th and February 22nd. There were plenty of free activities that took place at various spots downtown including outside the Vancouver Art Gallery and on Granville Island.
The Lantern City – affiliated with Lunarfest Vancouver, there were lantern art installations outside the Vancouver Art Gallery (from January 29th to Februarty 18th) as well as at Granville Island (January 29th to February 17th), the Pendulum Gallery (January 27th to February 21st), the Bentall Centre (January 29th to February 19th) and at 800 Robson Plaza (January 29th to February 18th).
LNY Splash Films at VIFF – a series of Asian films took place at the VIFF Centre in downtown Vancouver on February 8th and 9th.
Vancouver Chinatown Spring Festival Parade – this is one of the city’s largest and most impressive parades. It took place on Sunday, February 2nd.
Chinese New Year at International Village – the mall in Chinatown is full of interesting things to see and do around Lunar New Year (including on the day of the big parade). This year the celebrations happened at the mall on February 1st and 2nd.
Chinese Canadian Museum – the museum in Chinatown had special activities on January 25th and February 1st and 2nd. These included crafts as well as games, stories and other fun things. They were all included for free with general admission to the museum.

Vancouver Chinatown at New Year

Vancouver Chinese New Year Parade

Other Lunar New Year Events

Lunar New Year festivities also happen at Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Chinese Garden in Vancouver’s Chinatown as well as at the Museum of Surrey. There used to be public celebrations at the International Buddhist Temple and Thrangu Monastery in Richmond, although those haven’t happened for a few years.

In addition to the above, celebratory activities take place at a number of Lower Mainland shopping centres. Most notably, these include International Village in Vancouver’s Chinatown and both Aberdeen Mall and Lansdowne Centre in Richmond. There is also usually lion dancing at other malls too.

MUSEUM AND WALKING TOURS IN VANCOUVER’S CHINATOWN

An exceptional way to learn about the Lunar New Year and Chinese-Canadian history in Vancouver is to join a walking tour with Historical Chinatown Tours. Join one if you can. They are very interesting, informative and fun.

Another top place to learn about Chinese Canadians and their history in this country is the Chinese Canadian Museum at 51 East Pender Street in the heart of Chinatown. It’s a terrific museum.

About Lunar New Year

The Lunar New Year is a national holiday in China, Taiwan, South Korea, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore. It’s not a national holiday in countries like the Philippines, Japan or Canada, but it’s still a time of festivities for many people. As much as 25% of the planet’s population celebrates Lunar New Year in some way.

Lunar New Year in China and Elsewhere

In 2025, starting on January 29th, it’s the Year of the Serpent for the Vietnamese. In that year the zodiac sign is the same in Vietnam as most other cultures with the lunar calendar.

With South Korea, the holiday is called Seollal and it takes place on the same date as in China. In Tibet, however, the Lunar New Year sometimes takes place on the same date as elsewhere, but not always. That’s in part due to time differences.

According to the Chinese tradition, there are 12 years in the lunar calendar with each represented by a different animal. They are the rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, goat, monkey, rooster, dog, pig, rat, ox and tiger. People born in the different years are believed to have similar personality traits and characteristics. Snakes, for example, tend to be wise, caring, hard working, charming, empathetic and intuitive. They also like to think through things carefully, value their privacy and are good at talking.

Although it happens in the winter for most parts of China (other than in the tropical south coast), Lunar New Year is celebrated as the “Spring Festival” in China. This is why the parade in Vancouver is the Chinatown Spring Festival Parade.

The lunar calendar revolves around the phases of the moon, which is why the date changes from year to year. There are about 354 days in the lunar year which is the length of time it takes for the moon to travel around earth 12 full times.