Lunar New Year activities and Chinese office games for work
Dumplings, lanterns, riddles and a zodiac race. Everything an office needs to mark the new year well, with dates for the next five years.
The best Lunar New Year activities for work are shared and simple: food on one table, red lanterns overhead, a few quick Chinese office games and a riddle wall people stop at on the way to coffee. Below you’ll find who celebrates and what they call it, the dates and zodiac animals for the next five years, 20 office activities, 15 Chinese New Year games, 12 lantern riddles with answers, the twelve animals in order, and how to celebrate respectfully.
What is Lunar New Year, and who celebrates it?
Lunar New Year starts the year on the lunisolar calendar, with a new moon in late January or February. Hundreds of millions of people celebrate it, under different names and with their own foods. Lunar New Year is the umbrella name; the people you work with may call it something else:
- China: Spring Festival (Chūnjié), or Chinese New Year
- A reunion dinner on New Year's Eve, with dumplings in the north and a whole fish for plenty. Red envelopes (hóngbāo) for children and unmarried relatives, red couplets on the door and fireworks at midnight where they're allowed.
- Vietnam: Tết Nguyên Đán, or simply Tết
- Bánh chưng, a square cake of sticky rice, mung beans and pork wrapped in leaves. Lucky money (lì xì) in red envelopes, and peach or apricot blossoms in the home.
- Korea: Seollal
- Tteokguk, a soup of sliced white rice cakes for a clean start to the year. Sebae, a deep bow to elders, who answer with good wishes and often a little money.
- Singapore, Malaysia and beyond: Chinese New Year or Lunar New Year
- Yusheng, a raw fish salad that everyone tosses high with chopsticks for luck. Open houses where friends of every background drop by to visit and eat.
When is Lunar New Year? Dates and zodiac animals
The date moves every year, landing between January 21 and February 20. Each year belongs to one of twelve animals, paired with one of five elements in a 60-year cycle.
| Year | New Year’s Day | Year of the |
|---|---|---|
| 2027 | Sat, Feb 6 | Goat (Fire) |
| 2028 | Wed, Jan 26 | Monkey (Earth) |
| 2029 | Tue, Feb 13 | Rooster (Earth) |
| 2030 | Sun, Feb 3 | Dog (Metal) |
| 2031 | Thu, Jan 23 | Pig (Metal) |
Lunar New Year 2027 falls on Saturday, February 6, starting the Year of the Goat. It's a weekend, so mark it at work on Friday, February 5. The Lantern Festival closes the season on Saturday, February 20.
These are the dates as observed in China. Korea and Vietnam set their lunar calendars by their own time zones, so Seollal or Tết can land a day apart: Seollal in 2027 falls on Sunday, February 7, and Tết in 2030 falls on Saturday, February 2. Check with colleagues before you book.
20 Lunar New Year activities for the office
Pick a few of these Chinese New Year activities for the week of the new year, or spread them over the 15 days to the Lantern Festival.
Food first
Every version of the holiday centers on a shared table, so the office one can too. Most Lunar New Year party ideas start with food.
1. Dumpling-folding lunch
Buy wrappers and two fillings (one vegetarian), fold together for half an hour, then cook them in an electric steamer or rice cooker.
45 minutes, up to 20 people. About six dumplings per person.
2. Lucky foods potluck
Ask for dishes with a good-luck meaning: long noodles for long life, a whole fish for plenty, spring rolls for wealth. For sign-ups, see our office potluck ideas.
Lunch, any size. Put each dish's meaning on its label.
3. Mandarin bowl at reception
Mandarin oranges stand for good fortune and gold. Keep a full bowl at the front desk for the first week, and offer them in pairs.
All week. A big bowl and a few bags of mandarins.
4. Tea tasting break
Brew three teas side by side, say jasmine, oolong and pu-erh, and let people vote for a favorite.
20 minutes, up to 30 people. Three teapots and small cups.
5. Order from a family restaurant
Cater lunch from a local Chinese, Vietnamese or Korean family-run restaurant, and let colleagues who celebrate pick the dishes.
Lunch. Order two days ahead; it's their busiest season.
Make and decorate
Hands-on ideas that leave the office looking festive for the whole season.
6. Paper lantern craft
Fold and cut red paper into simple hanging lanterns, then string them over desks or the kitchen.
30 minutes, any size. Red and gold paper, scissors, glue sticks.
7. Paper-cutting session
Try jiǎnzhǐ, Chinese paper cutting: fold red paper, cut a pattern and open it into a window flower.
30 minutes. Print simple patterns; small scissors.
8. Red and gold makeover
Hang lanterns, couplets and a 福 (fu, good fortune) sign on the door. Many families hang the fu upside down on purpose.
One hour of setup. Keep it up through the Lantern Festival.
9. Red envelope notes
Hand out red envelopes with chocolate coins or a handwritten thank-you inside instead of money, given with both hands.
15 minutes to fill. Envelopes cost a few cents each.
10. Calligraphy try-out
A colleague or a local teacher shows how to brush 福 or 春 (spring), and everyone takes a turn on practice paper.
40 minutes. Brushes, ink and newsprint.
Learn and share
Ways to learn about the holiday from the people who celebrate it, if they want to share.
11. Lantern riddle wall
Hang paper lanterns with a riddle on each and the answer folded inside. Whoever solves the most by Friday wins a prize. Use the 12 riddles on this page.
All week, any size.
12. Wishes for the year board
Put up a red board and gold pens, and invite everyone to write one wish for the year ahead, signed or not.
All week. One board and a few gold markers.
13. Lion dance visit
Many cities have lion dance troupes that perform at businesses for luck. Book one if your building allows the drums, or watch a performance video together.
20 minutes. Book troupes weeks ahead; February fills fast.
14. How my family celebrates
Colleagues who want to share tell the team how their family marks Tết, Seollal or Spring Festival, with photos and food.
30-minute lunch. Invite, never assign.
15. Greetings in four languages
Learn a new year greeting in Mandarin (xīnnián kuàilè), Cantonese (gung hei fat choi), Vietnamese (chúc mừng năm mới) and Korean (saehae bok mani badeuseyo).
10 minutes. Ask colleagues to coach the pronunciation.
For remote and hybrid teams
Small moments that travel well across homes, offices and time zones.
16. Fold-along on video
One colleague demonstrates folding dumplings on camera while everyone folds store-bought wrappers in their own kitchen.
45 minutes. Send the shopping list a week ahead.
17. Riddle a day
Post one lantern riddle a day in the team channel for the first 12 days of the new year, with the answer the next morning.
2 minutes a day. Works for any team size.
18. Red envelope in the mail
Mail remote colleagues a red envelope with a tea sachet, chocolate coins and a handwritten card.
Ship 10 days ahead.
19. A session for colleagues in Asia
If teammates in Asia are off for the holiday, send greetings the day before, and schedule any team event at a time they can join.
Check public holidays in each office.
20. Zodiac trivia on a call
Run a 15-minute zodiac round on your next team call, using the animals and facts on this page. Facts are in the zodiac section.
15 minutes, any size.
15 Chinese office games for Lunar New Year
Quick Lunar New Year games for a lunch break or a team call. Each takes 15 minutes or less, and none needs anyone to know the holiday already.
1. Zodiac order race
Give each team 12 cards with the animals on them. First team to lay them out in the traditional order wins.
5 minutes, teams of 3 to 6. One set of cards per team.
2. Zodiac trivia
Ten questions built from the zodiac list on this page: which animal comes first, which is the only bird, which is mythical.
15 minutes, any size. Pen and paper per team.
3. Lantern riddle race
Teams get the 12 riddles below and 10 minutes. Most correct answers wins; ties go to the fastest team.
15 minutes, teams of 3 to 5.
4. Dumpling relay
Each teammate folds one dumpling, then tags the next. The team with the most well-sealed dumplings after five minutes wins.
10 minutes, teams of 4. Gloves, wrappers, filling, water.
5. Chopsticks challenge
Move wrapped candies from one bowl to another in a minute. It's a speed game, not a test of who holds them right, so no teasing.
5 minutes, any size. Offer training chopsticks to anyone who wants them.
6. Lucky food match
Match eight foods to their meanings, from noodles (long life) to tangerines (good fortune) to fish (plenty).
10 minutes, teams of 3 to 5. A printed match sheet.
7. Fu hunt
Hide 30 small paper 福 characters around the office. Whoever finds the most by lunch picks the team snack.
All morning, any size.
8. Red envelope draw
Fill red envelopes with small prizes or fun jobs (pick the playlist, skip one meeting) and let everyone draw one.
10 minutes, any size. Free prizes work fine.
9. Mandarin spoon race
Carry a mandarin on a spoon to the end of the hallway and back, then pass the spoon. Drop it and start your leg again.
10 minutes, teams of 4. Spoons and mandarins.
10. Lantern build-off
Teams get 10 minutes, red paper, tape and scissors to build the best lantern. Everyone votes.
15 minutes, teams of 3 to 5.
11. Greeting match
Read a new year greeting aloud; teams name the language. Mandarin, Cantonese, Vietnamese and Korean are all in play.
10 minutes, any size.
12. Draw the zodiac
One player draws a zodiac animal or a holiday object while their team guesses within 60 seconds. More words to draw.
15 minutes, teams of 4 or more. A whiteboard.
13. Who's the animal?
The host reads clues about one zodiac animal (a legend, a trait, its place in the order) one at a time. Fewest clues to the right answer wins.
10 minutes, any size.
14. Red cup tower
Teams stack red paper cups as high as they can in two minutes, then write one wish for the year on the top cup.
5 minutes, teams of 3 to 5. 30 cups per team.
15. Around the region quiz
Questions on how the holiday differs across China, Vietnam and Korea: the foods, the names, the customs from the table above.
15 minutes, any size.
12 lantern riddles with answers
Guessing riddles written on lanterns is a Lantern Festival tradition. These are our own, each with one clear answer. Hang them on paper lanterns, or tap to show the answers.
1. I'm red and flat, I carry good wishes inside, and I'm handed over with two hands. What am I?
Show answer
A red envelope.
2. You pinch my edges into pleats, then boil or steam me, and there's a filling hidden inside. What am I?
Show answer
A dumpling.
3. I'm small, orange and easy to peel, and in Cantonese my name sounds like gold. What am I?
Show answer
A mandarin orange, also called a tangerine.
4. I won the Great Race by riding on a bigger animal's back and jumping off at the finish. Who am I?
Show answer
The Rat, first of the twelve zodiac animals.
5. I carried the winner across the river and still came second. Who am I?
Show answer
The Ox.
6. I glow from the inside, hang from a string, and star in a festival on the 15th night of the year. What am I?
Show answer
A lantern.
7. The longer I am, the longer the life I wish you, so please don't cut me. What am I?
Show answer
Long-life noodles.
8. We're two thin sticks that always work as a pair, and one hand moves us both. What are we?
Show answer
Chopsticks.
9. In the zodiac, eleven of us are real animals. I'm the only one you'll never meet. Who am I?
Show answer
The Dragon, the only mythical creature in the zodiac.
10. I crackle and bang, and the story says my noise scared away a beast called Nian. What am I?
Show answer
Firecrackers.
11. I clean every corner before the new year, then rest on New Year's Day so the good luck isn't swept away. What am I?
Show answer
A broom.
12. I'm one character on a square of red paper, and I'm often hung upside down on purpose. What am I?
Show answer
福 (fu), good fortune. In Mandarin, dào (upside down) sounds like dào (arrive), so an upside-down fu says good fortune has arrived.
Need more for the wall? Try our riddles for adults, with a riddle of the day.
The 12 zodiac animals in order
The traditional order comes from the legend of the Great Race, when the animals raced across a river to reach the Jade Emperor. One fact for each, with its recent years:
1. Rat. Won the legendary Great Race by riding on the Ox's back and jumping ahead at the finish line.1972, 1984, 1996, 2008, 2020
2. Ox. Came second after carrying the Rat. In Vietnam's zodiac, the water buffalo takes its place.1973, 1985, 1997, 2009, 2021
3. Tiger. The stripes on its forehead are often said to look like 王, the Chinese character for king.1974, 1986, 1998, 2010, 2022
4. Rabbit. In Vietnam's zodiac, the Cat takes the Rabbit's place.1975, 1987, 1999, 2011, 2023
5. Dragon. The only mythical creature among the twelve.1976, 1988, 2000, 2012, 2024
6. Snake. Often called the little dragon.1977, 1989, 2001, 2013, 2025
7. Horse. February 17, 2026 began a Fire Horse year, the first since 1966.1978, 1990, 2002, 2014, 2026
8. Goat. The Chinese word yáng covers goats, sheep and rams, so you'll see all three names for this year.1979, 1991, 2003, 2015, 2027
9. Monkey. Sun Wukong, the Monkey King of the novel Journey to the West, is the most famous monkey in Chinese stories.1980, 1992, 2004, 2016, 2028
10. Rooster. The only bird in the zodiac.1981, 1993, 2005, 2017, 2029
11. Dog. Stands for loyalty in Chinese tradition.1982, 1994, 2006, 2018, 2030
12. Pig. Last of the twelve. In Japan's zodiac, the wild boar takes its place.1983, 1995, 2007, 2019, 2031
The animal changes at Lunar New Year, not on January 1, so someone born in January or February before that year’s new year belongs to the animal before. A sign hints at age, so let people offer theirs rather than asking. For a longer quiz, these AAPI Heritage Month trivia questions go wider than the holiday.
Good-luck customs, and how to celebrate respectfully
A few customs are widely shared and easy to honor at work:
- Red means luck and joy, which is why envelopes, lanterns and decorations are red.
- Give and receive red envelopes and gifts with both hands, as a sign of respect.
- Families clean the house before New Year to sweep out bad luck, and many skip sweeping on New Year's Day itself.
- Gifts often come in pairs, like two mandarins, because even numbers are lucky. Four is the exception: it sounds like the word for death in Mandarin and Cantonese.
- A clock is a gift to avoid: in Mandarin, giving a clock sounds like attending a funeral.
- White and black are colors of mourning, so skip white envelopes and wrapping.
Six rules for the office
- Say Lunar New Year in company messages. It covers everyone who celebrates. With a colleague, use the name they use: Chinese New Year, Spring Festival, Tết or Seollal.
- Let colleagues who celebrate lead, if they want to. Ask what they'd like to see, and thank anyone who shares. Don't hand the planning to the one person you assume celebrates.
- No costumes or caricatures. Skip conical hats, fake accents, chopsticks as hair props and "Asian" dress-up days. Red and gold decorations are plenty.
- Mind the table manners. Never stand chopsticks upright in a bowl of rice: it recalls the incense at funerals. Lay them across the bowl or on a rest.
- Be flexible with time off. Many people travel to be with family. Approve leave early and keep big deadlines out of New Year week.
- Label the food. Note pork, shellfish and peanuts on every dish, and include a vegetarian filling at any dumpling event.
The same care applies all year: our inclusive holiday party ideas cover the winter season, and these Hanukkah activities for work follow the same rules.
Bring in a host for a remote team
For a team spread across offices, a host can carry the celebration. In hosted virtual trivia, Quiz Showdown! can add your own questions and custom backgrounds, so a Lunar New Year round slots in; customizations need at least 4 weeks’ notice, and some requests cost extra. Games run on Zoom by default (Teams, Google Meet or Webex on request) and can run as two sessions for teams split across time zones.
A hosted quiz show and two tea kit classes, with today’s prices.
Bubble Tea Making and Tea Garden & Tasting are hour-long live classes with a kit shipped to every home, so book them at least 3 weeks ahead (about 5 weeks for international addresses). Browse more team building kits, or get a free quote with your date and headcount.
