Sunday, February 22, 2026

Chinese New Year Party Fun!


We attended a fun Chinese New Year celebration at our friends' home this weekend! 
They have been celebrating this event for many years and have collected quite a few fun decorations.


According to Wikipedia, "Chinese New Year, also known as the Spring Festival, marks the beginning of a new year on the traditional lunisolar Chinese calendar. It is one of the most important holidays in Chinese culture and was placed on the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity list in 2024. Marking the end of winter and the beginning of spring, this festival takes place from Chinese New Year's Eve (the evening preceding the first day of the year) to the Lantern Festival, held on the 15th day of the year. The first day of the Chinese New Year falls on the new moon that appears between 21 January and 20 February.

Click on the photo to enlarge it to view the information

A paper placemat our friends had at each place setting described the Chinese Zodiac signs associated with different years.

This year, the New Year was celebrated on February 17, 2026.

The Chinese Zodiac sign for 2026 is: Year of the Horse


According to Chinese astrology, Horses are confident, agreeable, and responsible, although they also tend to dislike being reined in by others. They’re fit and intelligent, adoring physical and mental exertion; they’re decisive but also easily swayed and impatient.



Our hosts had prepared a Pork and Vegetable Egg Roll filling--see the recipe they used on this linkWe all had fun taking turns to fill and roll the egg rolls to bake. We then had fun eating the hot-from-the-oven egg rolls as appetizers, dipping them in assorted sauces.

 

Our hosts prepared some delicious stir-fried entrees buffet-style, along with Hot and Sour Soup brought by one of the guests.

Dessert was fortune cookies!



My two cookie fortunes told me I was going to have an adventure in August and enjoy some culinary delights on my trip. 

That sounds perfect to me!


Thank you to Bekki and Will for a wonderful party!



Happy Year of the Horse

Good Fortune and Prosperity to all!




16 comments:

Handmade in Israel said...

Interesting to learn a little about the Chinese New Year. What a great idea to make the egg rolls together, so they can be cooked and eaten hot from the oven!

Carol On The Lake said...

Wow! What a fun celebration. I love Chinese food, and several decades ago, I attended a New Year celebration at my favorite restaurant. Celebrating in a home would be even better. #MMBC

Kim Carberry said...

What a fantastic Chinese New Year celebration. The decorations are brilliant and the food looks delicious too!

Tom said...

...Chinese New Year is such a colorful and festive time. We enjoyed it in Maui. Be well and merry.

Melynda@Scratch Made Food! said...

What a fun gathering! I used to enjoy the Chinese Zodiac on the placemats at a favorite café years ago!

Laura @ Our Grand Lives said...

What a wonderful occasion! I love all the festive touches! I taught in a school that also housed a Chinese Immersion program. Our two schools worked side by side and I learned so much about the culture and people during those years! Our students always looked forward to our chinese New Year celebrations!

Anne said...

What a wonderful party and a great way to welcome the Chinese New Year. I saw the dragon in practice when I went out the other afternoon, but I missed the party as it was the following night.

ellen b. said...

What great decor and the food looked amazing! Happy Lunar New Year!

Linda W. said...

How fun! Looks like your friends went all out on the Chinese New Year celebrations.

eileeninmd said...

Hello Pat,
Sounds like a fun celebration for the Chinese New Year!
The looks delicious! Love the photo of the horses.
Take care, enjoy your day and the new week ahead.

Gillena Cox said...

Very nice
Happy Monday

Much love

EricaSta said...

Thank you for linking to MosaicMonday...

...I'm not as focused as I usually am because of recent events. Sorry!

handmade by amalia said...

I enjoyed this colorful fun and the food looks amazing. Welcoming the Chinese New Year in style. Good for you.
Amalia
xo

Slabs said...

Very interesting to learn here about the CHinese New Year. Thank you for linking to HIH 625. If not already, we hope to see you at SSPS https://esmesalon.com/seniorsalonpitstop/ Mon through Saturday

roentare said...

A lively and delicious celebration, perfectly fitting for the energetic and spirited Year of the Horse!

Jeanie said...

Your friends really know how to throw a party! This is just spectacular. Everything looks delicious, right down to the fortune cookies boding good things for you! This is so colorful and such fun -- I love all the things they have amassed over time to fit in with the theme. I think I'll have one of those tasty looking rolls right now!