Student-Friendly Ways to Celebrate

新年快乐! Chúc mừng năm mới! 해복많이 받으세요! 明けましておめでとうございます! 

Or in other words… Happy Lunar New Year!

(Stay tuned to the end of the article to learn these phrases, and more!)

Lunar New Year marks the start of a New Year on lunisolar calendars. Unlike the solar calendar’s 1st of January, it instead falls somewhere between January and February; this year, it will be Tuesday, the 17th February.

As someone who learned her ABC’s in China and sat her secondary schools in Vietnam, it's no surprise I miss the fiery spirit of Lunar New Year in Asia. Luckily, London is probably one of the best places (aside from Asia itself, of course) to celebrate this fantastic holiday.

Here are some ways to that you can celebrate in the city and in your hall!

1. 2026 Lunar New Year Parade 🐉 - Sunday, 22nd of February 2026

The parade typically crosses through Trafalgar Square, Charing Cross Road, Shaftesbury Avenue, and ends in the iconic Chinatown London. Come along to see some impressive parade floats, traditional dragon music and iconic drum beating!

2. Share a meal with friends 🤌🥟

Dining together with family is a big part of South East Asian culture and it is no different for Lunar New Year. As a self-acclaimed Asian cuisine snob, here are my go to restaurants in Zone 1 perfect to celebrate Lunar New Year with your chosen family.

Er Mei China Town

The most amazing, mouth-watering Sichuan food for very affordable prices. Unlike most China Town restaurants, this grey-painted establishment has no fancy inflatable caricatures by the door as it relies on good, old-fashioned word of mouth to attract new customers (you’re welcome 😉)

P.S. - they give you a discount if you pay in cash 👀

Mien Tay Shoreditch

If you have never had Vietnamese food, this is a great place to start. There is a shrine by the door, bamboo walls, a boat strapped to the ceiling and green plastic beads on the entry to the bathroom (if you know, you know).

Woo Jung BBQ Holborn

Oh. My God. Their bibimbap makes me want to cry with happiness and honestly their Korean chicken is on par with (or even better than!!) what I have had in Asia itself! Conveniently located in Holborn, I highly recommend this place as a special treat after a long day of classes during the Lunar New Year period!

3. Bring luck into the New Year by decorating your door 🧧

Doors carry an important symbolic meaning of being the passageway into your home and therefore your life. It is no surprise that South East Asians take decorating them very seriously. For example, in China, the character 福 (Fú) is hung on doors to welcome "good fortune" into the year ahead, with similar alternatives in different languages depending on the country.

I recommend heading to your local Asian store which is bound to have some small decorations available to spice up your room. I got mine at Tian Tian in Holborn for just a few pounds!

Though it may not mean much to you, seeing this door decoration can make someone feel a little bit more at home in their hall, especially those that just moved half-way across the globe.

4. Wear red 🔴

Red is a lucky, lucky colour in Asian culture! It is thought to bring wealth, prosperity and ward off bad spirits, stemming from ancient beliefs linking it to the powerful forces of fire and the sun.

To get into the spirit of Lunar New Year, you too can try to dress in red to welcome good energy in a way that your local South East Asian auntie would approve of.

According to Chinese culture, your zodiac year is when you are more vulnerable to misfortune. This is why if it is the year of your zodiac, it is especially important to wear red to ward off bad luck. Many people opt for red bracelets to act as a consistent shield against this bad juju.

5. Wish someone a happy New Year in your hall 🤗

Remember those phrases at the start of this article? They are all ways to wish someone a happy New Year in widely spoken South East Asian languages. It may seem small, but learning one simple phrase can help you build community in your hall and truly make someone’s day.

If you know someone who celebrates it, you are just one quick Google or ChatGPT search away from learning how to say it in their language and how to pronounce it. Here are some most common ways (not an exhaustive list!)

🇨🇳 新年快乐! [Seen nyen kwye-luh!]

🇻🇳 Chúc mừng năm mới! [Chook moong nahm moy!]

🇰🇷 해 복 많이 받으세요! [Heh bok mahn-ee bah-deu-seh-yo!]

🇯🇵 明けましておめでとうございます! [Ah-keh-mah-shtay oh-meh-toh goh-zah-ee-mass!]

🇵🇭 Maligayang bagong taon! [Mah-li-GUY-ang BA-gong ta-ON!]

🇹🇭 สวัสดีปีใหม่! [Suh-wah-DEE pee MY!}

🇰🇭 សួស្តីឆ្នាំថ្មី! [Sous-dey Chnam Thmey)]