According to the lunar calendar, Chinese New Year falls on 17 February in 2026. Ahead of China’s most important holiday, our colleagues from RTL.lu spoke with members of the Chinese community in Luxembourg about how they plan to celebrate.
More than one billion people worldwide take part in the festivities – including some 4,500 Chinese nationals residing in the Grand Duchy. To better understand what the holiday means for those living abroad, our colleagues visited an Asian supermarket, a Chinese church, and a restaurant.
At the A-Market supermarket in Belval, one colour dominates: red. Packaging, decorations, and gifts all come in the shade traditionally associated with good fortune.
Among the most popular items are the famous red envelopes, said manager Tingting You. People place money inside and gift them to children or the elderly, she explained.
Food also plays a central role in the celebrations. Because many factories in China close for several weeks over the holiday, orders must be placed well in advance. You noted that she now places orders two weeks to a month earlier than before to avoid shortages.
She herself celebrates the New Year in Luxembourg, often with a Chinese fondue. The choice is partly practical: the range of products available locally differs from what is common in China, making fondue the easiest option.
The Chinese Christian church in Bonnevoie is also hosting a community event to mark the New Year. Moise Lau compared the holiday to Christmas in Luxembourg – a time meant to be spent with family and friends.
Lau recalled traditions from his past, including how his mother would carry out a thorough cleaning on the 31st to “sweep out all the bad stuff”. He explained that folk belief forbids any cleaning on the first day of the new year, lest one be doomed to work hard for the rest of it.
Still, Lau acknowledged that such customs are increasingly being lost.
At his restaurant in Moutfort, Dali Zhu relies on culinary traditions to serve as a bridge between cultures. He highlighted several dishes traditionally served at New Year: jiǎo zi, dumplings shaped like ancient Chinese gold bars to symbolise wealth, and niángāo, a rice cake whose name is a homophone for the Chinese expression meaning “0year” and which represents the promise of a prosperous year ahead.
As a child, Zhu always celebrated the holiday with his family in Luxembourg. Like You, he recalled that his family did not strictly follow traditional Chinese menus. Instead, they shared a fondue together – a dish he acknowledged is not at all traditionally Chinese, but which emphasises sharing.
Whether rooted in tradition or adapted to life abroad, the focus remains the same: sharing food, laughter, and time with loved ones.
