Lunar New Year in Photos and Video: Revelers Welcome Year of the Horse

New York Times - WorldEN 3 min read 100% complete by The New York TimesFebruary 17, 2026 at 02:26 PM

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medium article 3 min

Across Asia and diaspora communities, over a billion people celebrated the Lunar New Year, marking the arrival of spring and the first new moon of the lunisolar calendar. Celebrations for the Year of the Horse, also known as Spring Festival in China, Seollal in South Korea, and Tet in Vietnam, included fireworks, lion dances, and temple visits. Common traditions involved family gatherings with feasts, ancestor veneration, and rituals for prosperity. Festivities varied by region, from eating rice cake soup in South Korea to buying kumquat trees in Vietnam. In China, the holiday spurred mass migration for family reunions, while humanoid robots made appearances at temples and performances.

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Bangkok 40% Taipei 40% Ho Chi Minh City 40% Spring Festival Gala 50% Hong Kong 50% Vietnam ×260% South Korea ×260% Beijing ×270% Asia 70% China ×280%

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lunar new year 100% year of the horse 90% spring festival 80% asian culture 70% family gatherings 60% temple visits 60% lion dancing 50% cultural traditions 50% fireworks 50% robots 40%