The Year of the Fire Horse is upon us: Here’s how to celebrate at King’s and in London

This week marks the beginning of Chinese New Year, also known as the Lunar New Year, or the Spring Festival.

As it’s same suggests, the lunar calendar is based on the cycles of the moon rather than the sun, and so the start of the new year changes each time. It is the most important holiday of the year in Chinese culture, and is also celebrated in many other countries across South Asia.

Each year is associated with one of the animals of the Chinese zodiac, as well as one of the elements. 2026 is the year of the Fire Horse, a combination that only occurs every 60 years. Celebrations for the New Year last for around 15 days, culminating in the famous Lantern Festival.

Thankfully, there is a lot on at King’s College London to mark this occasion. We are also incredibly lucky to be in London, which hosts the biggest Chinese Lunar New Year celebration outside of Asia in our very own Chinatown.

Here are some activities that you can take part in to ring in the Lunar New Year.

Join ABACUS for Lunar New Year celebrations

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The Association of British and Chinese University students, better known as ABACUS, was founded in 2005 with a mission to bring together students from a multitude of different Asian backgrounds, including Chinese, Malaysian, Thai, Vietnamese, Korean and British-born Chinese students.

ABACUS are heading to Scala this weekend to celebrate the Lunar New Year, so check out their Instagram page to keep up with any updates.

Chinese and Korean arts and crafts at the KCL Language Centre

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The King’s Language Centre is hosting an arts and crafts workshop where you can delve into the art of Chinese calligraphy, paper cutting and fold a traditional Korean costume using paper.

If you’re a more artsy student looking to celebrate the Lunar New Year, then you definitely cannot miss out on this one! You can register for this event here.

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Korean Circle Dance (Ganggansullae)

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Immerse yourself in the vibrant world of Korean traditional circle dance in this engaging workshop. Join to learn Korean circle dancing, known as Ganggansullae, and experience this communal activity that brings people together through rhythm and movement. You can register for this event here.

Mandarin Taster Classes

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I, for one, have always wanted to take up some Mandarin Chinese classes to improve my language skills and understanding, so these Mandarin classes are definitely a must-have if you want to experience more of the Chinese culture. This beginner-level taster session introduces the basics of Mandarin, including simple self-introductions, basic prononciation and the fundamentals of Chinese characters through fun and interactive activities. You can register for classes on Thursday 19th February or Friday 20th February.

Lunar New Year Celebrations on campus

On Thursday 19th February on Strand Campus between 16:30-18:00, enjoy lively singing and dancing, test your knowledge with fun quizzes about China and Korea and soak in the sounds of traditional music. This event is hosted by the King’s Language Centre and you can register for a place here.

Where can I celebrate Lunar New Year in London off campus?

The Chinese New Year Festival in central London will take place on 22nd of February. You can see a parade from 10am from Trafalgar Square to Chinatown with more celebrations around the capital until the evening.

There are also many ways to mark the occasion across London, including events in Covent Garden, Spitalfields Market and in the Docklands Museum. You can find out about everything going on in the capital on the Visit London website

From everyone at The King’s Tab, we would like to wish a Happy Chinese Lunar New Year to everyone at King’s who celebrates, and we wish you a prosperous year ahead.

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