The 2026 Chinese New Year festival, the Year of the Horse, is an important time for new beginnings, occurring in mid-February as follows:
When is Chinese New Year 2026? The 2026 Chinese New Year calendar.
Purchase Day: Sunday, 15 February 2026 (day for buying offerings for the altar).
Preparation Day: Monday, 16 February 2026 (day to pay respects to deities and ancestors).
Celebration Day (Chinese New Year): Tuesday, 17 February 2026 (day of celebration and festivities).
Altar arrangement and auspicious offerings.
The altar should be arranged to attract good fortune with the following order and auspicious items:
Order of placement (from front to back).
Front: incense burner (center), flanked by candlesticks and flower vases.
Second row: cups of drinking water and tea cups matching the number of ancestors.
Third row: bowls of steamed rice (3 or 5 bowls).
Savory dishes row (sae sae/ngo sae): boiled chicken (progress), duck (purity), pork belly (prosperity) or fish (abundance).
Fruits and sweets row: 4-5 golden oranges (fortune), grapes (increase), sticky rice cakes (smoothness).
Back row: gold and silver paper offerings (khor see).
Luck tip: In 2026, use a red tablecloth or red paper under the offerings to enhance the fire element energy and arrange the oranges in a pyramid shape.
⛩️ Recommended shrines to pray for luck enhancement.
For 2026, the "Rat" is the Zodiac Conflict Year (Pee Chong) at 100%, while the Horse, Snake, and Rabbit years are partially conflicted. Recommended places include:
Wat Mangkon Kamalawat (Leng Nei Yi), Yaowarat: the main site for resolving Zodiac Conflicts and praying for blessings in all aspects.
Tiger God Shrine (Sao Ching Cha): renowned for prayers related to career, authority, and removing obstacles.
Wat Thipwawihan (Kam Loi Yi): popular for worshipping the Green Dragon deity to boost luck.
Guanyin Shrine (Tien Fa Foundation): focused on prayers for health, safety, and compassion.