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January 1 might feel like the world’s official reset button for most of the year, coupled with fireworks, champagne pops, and loud countdowns, but not
everyone parties on January 1. In many countries, New Year arrives on a completely different date, depending on lunar cycles, ancient calendars, and traditions far older than party hats and confetti cannons.
Chinese New Year
When: Between February 17 and March 3This New Year doesn’t come with a single midnight moment; it stretches into a 15-day celebration. Think red lanterns, dragon dances, family feasts, and enough dumplings to last a lifetime. Based on the lunar calendar, Chinese New Year marks the arrival of spring and fresh beginnings. Each year also comes with a zodiac animal, which may explain a lot about how your year is going. So before blaming Mercury retrograde, double-check which animal is in charge.
Korean New Year (Seollal)
When: January or February (17 Feb in 2026)Seollal is a three-day family-focused celebration, filled with traditional games, ancestral rituals, and comforting food. The star dish is tteokguk, a rice cake soup believed to add a year to your life—basically ageing, but deliciously. Families also exchange good wishes and gifts of money, symbolising luck and prosperity for the year ahead. It’s warm, meaningful, and very much about starting the year together.
Thai New Year (Songkran)
When: April 13–15If your idea of a fresh start includes getting drenched, Thailand has you covered, quite literally. Songkran celebrates the Thai New Year with a nationwide water fight meant to wash away bad luck and bad vibes. Streets turn into splash zones, and no one is safe, whether you’re a tourist, local, or just minding your own business.
Balinese New Year (Nyepi)
When: March 19, 2026Now for the quietest New Year on Earth. Nyepi, the Balinese Day of Silence, is exactly what it sounds like. For 24 hours, the entire island shuts down—no flights, no traffic, no lights, and no noise. Even tourists are expected to stay indoors. The calm follows dramatic parades the night before, meant to scare away evil spirits. If your New Year wish is peace, reflection, and zero notifications, Nyepi might be your dream celebration.
Islamic New Year (Hijri New Year)
When: Varies yearly (around June 16–17 in 2026)Unlike the loud countdowns elsewhere, Islamic New Year is generally a quiet, reflective occasion. Based on the lunar calendar, the date shifts every year, moving about 11 days earlier annually. Rather than parties, the focus is on prayer, remembrance, and reflection, a reminder that New Year doesn’t always have to be noisy to be meaningful.
