Chinese New Year 2027 preparation checklist for families abroad: step-by-step tasks

Chinese New Year 2027 (Year of the Fire Horse) begins on January 29, marking the most important celebration for Asian families worldwide. For those living outside China, Singapore, Malaysia, or Taiwan, this Chinese New Year 2027 preparation checklist for families abroad will help you organize every detail—from the ritual home cleaning to traditional dishes and hongbao gifts—while following authentic customs and real deadlines. Use this list in Foco to break tasks into categories (decorations, food, gifts) and assign responsibilities to each family member.

What this checklist covers (and why it matters for the Year of the Horse)

The Year of the Horse symbolizes energy, freedom, and success, but it requires meticulous preparation. In Asia, preparations start 2-3 weeks in advance (mid-January 2027) and include deep cleaning to ward off bad luck, red decorations with auspicious calligraphy, purchasing ingredients for dishes like niangao (rice cake) or whole fish (a symbol of abundance), and selecting traditional gifts. This list is tailored for families abroad, with alternatives for sourcing Asian products at international supermarkets or online stores like T&T Supermarket (Canada), 99 Ranch Market (U.S.), or Wing Yip (UK).

In Foco, create a work named 'Chinese New Year' and use Panorama mode to view all tasks together (each with its color: red for decorations, gold for food, green for gifts). Use the Kanban view to group them by stages (e.g., 'Before January 20', 'Final Week') or the Calendar view to schedule reminders for shopping or long cooking tasks (like lap cheong or pineapple tarts).

• Buy red decorations: lanterns, upside-down '福' (fortune) characters, and pairs of lanterns for the entrance (available at Asian stores or Amazon; avoid black or white designs, as they symbolize mourning)
• Deep clean the house: sweep from the inside toward the front door to 'remove bad luck,' wash windows and doors (symbolizing clarity), and discard broken or unused items (in Asia, this is done before January 28, 2027, the 'final cleaning day')
• Purchase ingredients for traditional dishes: whole fish (carp or sea bass for the New Year’s Eve banquet), lotus root, bamboo shoots, dried shiitake mushrooms, and glutinous rice flour for niangao (New Year’s cake; sold in packets at Asian stores)
• Prepare lap cheong (Chinese sausages) and cured meats: buy them 10 days in advance to air-dry (hang near a window in cold climates; in warm areas, use an oven at 60°C with the door slightly open)
• Make or buy traditional cookies: kueh bangkit (coconut cookies, common in Singapore/Malaysia) or melting moments (flower-shaped), and pineapple tarts (symbols of prosperity; look for molds at Asian baking supply stores)
• Buy red envelopes (hongbao) and new coins: from Asian banks or numismatic shops (avoid envelopes with designs from the previous year’s zodiac; in 2027, the Horse should appear on the motifs)
• Prepare gifts for family: high-quality Chinese tea (e.g., Tieguanyin or Pu-erh), lucky fruits (mandarins with leaves, pomelos), or silk handkerchief sets (symbolizing longevity; avoid clocks or umbrellas, considered bad luck)
• Cook dishes for the New Year’s Eve banquet: yusheng (raw fish salad, popular in Singapore/Malaysia; prepare ingredients the day before and mix at the table), jiaozi (dumplings, symbolizing wealth; make dough and filling 2 days ahead)
• Decorate the banquet table: use red tablecloths, plates with horse motifs or 'prosperity' characters, and set an extra place for ancestors (in Asia, it’s placed at the center of the table with chopsticks standing upright)
• Buy incense and joss paper: for the New Year’s ritual (burn incense to ancestors and household gods on January 29, 2027, at dawn; in cities with restrictions, use electric incense sticks)
• Iron new clothes for the first day: in Asia, wearing new red or gold clothes on New Year’s Day attracts good luck (avoid black or white); wash and iron 3 days in advance to avoid last-minute rushes
• Prepare envelopes for children: fill hongbao with even amounts of money (avoid the number 4, associated with death; use crisp, new bills, available at Asian banks before January 25)
• Buy fireworks or firecrackers: where permitted (e.g., U.S. or Australia), or use red LED lights for outdoor decoration (in Asia, firecrackers scare away Nian, the mythical monster)
• Cook tangyuan (glutinous rice balls): for the 15th day of the New Year (February 12, 2027), symbolizing family unity; prepare dough and black sesame or peanut filling 2 days ahead
• Check the Horse horoscope: review 2027 predictions (available on sites like Chinese Fortune Calendar) and prepare amulets or talismans (e.g., ancient coins with square holes, hung on the front door)
• Organize a temple visit: book in advance at local Buddhist or Taoist temples (e.g., Man Mo Temple in Hong Kong, Fo Guang Shan in Taiwan, or Chinese temples in cities like San Francisco or London) for the first day of the New Year
• Prepare a call list for family: in Asia, calling elderly relatives on the first day of the New Year to wish them Gong Xi Fa Cai is customary; set reminders in Foco to account for time zones (e.g., Singapore is +8 hours ahead of Spain)
• Buy lucky plants: kumquat trees (dwarf trees with golden fruit, symbolizing prosperity) or lucky bamboo (with 3, 5, or 8 stalks; avoid 4 stalks); water them with blessed water if possible (often available at Asian temples)