Where did Lunar New Year originate from?

Happy Lunar New Year 2026! Go back into the Blue Peter archives and join past presenter Barney where he will take you through everything you need to know about the fun celebrations and origins of the Lunar New Year.

"Lunar New Year is celebrated across many east and central Asian countries. It's the beginning of the new moon, or Lunar cycle, a way of calculating time.

In Chinese culture, each year is represented by an animal. Myth has it the twelve animals of the Zodiac were selected by the Jade Emperor, who told all the animals there would be a swimming race. The first twelve animals across the river would be the winners and would each have a year of the Zodiac named after them. The rat won the race, so became the symbol of the first year of the Zodiac and so on.

To celebrate each country has its own traditional food, games and decorations, as people come together to wish each other luck and good fortune for the year ahead."

🏮Check out CBBC's Lunar New Year page, where you can test your knowledge with top Lunar New Year quizzes, find delicious recipes and even find out which zodiac animal you are.🏮

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