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Chinese New Year 2026 dates
Chinese New Year, also known as Lunar New Year or Spring Festival, falls on Tuesday 17 February 2026. The first three days are the public holiday across mainland China, Hong Kong and Macau. Singapore and Malaysia observe the first two days; Taiwan observes a longer holiday extending into the following week. The complete Spring Festival cycle traditionally runs for fifteen days through to the Lantern Festival on Tuesday 3 March 2026, although the school disruption focuses on the first week.
For families with relatives in mainland China, the official Spring Festival holiday in 2026 will likely run from Saturday 14 February to Sunday 22 February, an eight-day stretch covered by the State Council's annual public holiday announcement. International schools across the region anchor their closure to those dates.
Closures by city
| City | Expected school closure 2026 |
|---|---|
| Hong Kong | Tue 17 February to Fri 20 February (4 days); some schools extend to a 1-week mid-term break |
| Shanghai | Sat 14 February to Sun 22 February (9 days, including weekends) |
| Beijing | Sat 14 February to Sun 22 February (9 days) |
| Shenzhen and Guangzhou | Sat 14 February to Sun 22 February (9 days) |
| Singapore | Tue 17 February and Wed 18 February (2 days); many schools add Thursday and Friday |
| Kuala Lumpur | Tue 17 February and Wed 18 February |
| Taipei | Sat 14 February to Mon 23 February (9 to 10 days) |
International schools in mainland China typically follow the State Council holiday schedule precisely because all suppliers, transport providers and most parents shut down. Hong Kong international schools have more flexibility; some treat Chinese New Year as a full week, others as four working days. Check your school's published calendar. For city-level admissions context see our Hong Kong city guide and Singapore city guide.
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What changes inside school
In the run-up to Chinese New Year, international schools across the region lean into the celebration. Expect classroom decoration in red and gold, lessons on the zodiac, the legend of Nian and the customs of the festival, traditional craft activities (lanterns, paper cutting, calligraphy), and a school-wide assembly. Many schools host a Lunar New Year fair in the final week before closure, with food stalls representing different Asian cuisines, lion dance performances and a community marketplace.
For non-Chinese-speaking pupils, the period is a strong cultural touch point. Mandarin teaching is often elevated for the week, with parents invited to language sessions, and pupils in Year 6 and upwards often perform short bilingual presentations. School culture across Hong Kong, Shanghai and Singapore treats Chinese New Year as the single most important community event of the spring term.
Travel considerations
The two practical realities of Chinese New Year travel are: flights book up, and prices spike. Saturday 14 February and Sunday 22 February are among the highest fare days of the year in and out of Hong Kong, Shanghai and Singapore. If you are planning to leave Greater China for the holiday, book by November or early December for reasonable fares. Domestic travel within mainland China is effectively impossible without long-planned booking due to chunyun, the world's largest annual human migration. Train tickets sell out within minutes of release.
If you are staying in Hong Kong over the period, expect quieter neighbourhoods, partial closure of independent restaurants and dim sum places for the first two days (with major chains reopening from Thursday), and high attendance at the fireworks over Victoria Harbour. Singapore stays busier through the holiday than Hong Kong, with most restaurants open across the period.
Planning the week
Three practical pieces of advice. First, book travel and accommodation in November or earlier if you are leaving the region; prices triple in the final fortnight before. Second, plan an at-home or local programme if you are staying; museums and parks remain open and are quieter than usual in Hong Kong and Singapore. Third, use the closure to align with your child's mid-term assessment cycle. The Chinese New Year break sits roughly where a half-term break would normally fall, and is a natural moment to review the spring term so far. For broader regional context see our Hong Kong school holidays 2026 and Singapore school holidays 2026 pieces.