The Chinese New Year festival in 2026, the Year of the Horse, is an important period for fresh starts, occurring in mid-February as follows.
When is Chinese New Year 2026? Chinese New Year calendar 2026.
Preparation Day: Sunday, 15 February 2026 (day for buying items to prepare altar offerings).
Altar Offering Day: Monday, 16 February 2026 (day to pay respects to deities and ancestors).
Celebration Day (Chinese New Year): Tuesday, 17 February 2026 (day to hold celebrations and festivities).
Setting up the altar and auspicious offerings.
The altar arrangement should emphasize auspiciousness to attract fortune, with the following order and offerings:
Order of placement (from front to back):
Front: incense burner (center), flanked by candle holders and flower vases.
Second row: cups of drinking water and tea cups equal to the number of ancestors.
Third row: bowls of steamed rice filled to the brim (3 or 5 bowls).
Savory dish row (sa-sae/ngo-sae): boiled chicken (progress), duck (purity), pork belly (prosperity) or fish (abundance).
Fruit and dessert row: 4-5 golden oranges (wealth), grapes (increase), sticky rice cakes (smoothness).
Back row: gold and silver paper offerings (kho-see).
Luck-enhancing tip: in 2026, use a red tablecloth or red paper under the offerings to boost fire element energy and arrange oranges in a pyramid shape.
⛩️ Recommended shrines for fortune prayers.
For 2026, the "Rat" year is a 100% Zodiac Conflict Year (Pee Chong), while the Horse, Snake, and Rabbit years are partial conflict years. Recommended places include:
Wat Mangkon Kamalawat (Leng Nei Yi), Yaowarat: a primary location for resolving Zodiac conflicts and seeking blessings for all aspects.
Tiger God Shrine (Sao Ching Cha): renowned for prayers related to career, authority, and obstacle removal.
Wat Thipphayawararam (Gam Lo Yi): popular for worshipping the Green Dragon deity to enhance luck.
Guan Yin Shrine (Thian Fa Foundation): focuses on prayers for health, safety, and compassion.