Complete Chinese New Year 2027 preparation checklist: traditions, cleaning, and more

Chinese New Year 2027, marking the arrival of the Year of the Rabbit, is one of the most significant celebrations across Asia. To ensure everything is ready on time, this Chinese New Year 2027 preparation checklist guides you through every step: from deep cleaning your home to preparing traditional dishes, gifts, and decorations. In countries like China, Singapore, Malaysia, or Taiwan, festivities begin weeks in advance, with specific rituals and tight deadlines for purchasing ingredients, booking transportation, and coordinating family gatherings.

In 2027, Chinese New Year falls on January 29, but preparations typically start in mid-December, especially in cities with high demand for travel or festive products. This checklist is tailored to local customs, such as avoiding cleaning on the first day of the year (to prevent sweeping away good luck) or preparing red envelopes (hongbao) ahead of time. Use this checklist in Foco to organize tasks by priority, assign responsibilities (e.g., family members or friends), and attach notes with recipes or shopping lists.

What this checklist includes

Concrete tasks covering all aspects of the celebration: symbolic cleaning, decorations with auspicious motifs, purchasing ingredients for traditional dishes (like nian gao or fish), gift preparation, and planning gatherings. Each step is ordered logically, prioritizing what needs to be done weeks in advance (e.g., booking travel) over last-minute tasks (e.g., cooking).

• Book train, flight, or bus tickets for travel home (do this before December to avoid high prices or sold-out seats)
• Purchase non-perishable ingredients for traditional dishes (glutinous rice, wheat flour, bamboo shoots, dried shiitake mushrooms, etc.) at wholesale markets or Asian supermarkets
• Deep clean the house (sweep, mop, wash curtains and bedding) before January 25 (avoid cleaning during the first days of the New Year)
• Decorate the entrance with red lanterns, inverted fu (福) calligraphy, and pairs of couplets (chunlian) with prosperity messages
• Buy new clothes in red or gold tones (avoid black or white, colors associated with mourning) to wear on the first day of the year
• Prepare red envelopes (hongbao) with crisp, new bills for gifting to children and unmarried family members (amounts should be even numbers, never including the number 4)
• Cook traditional dishes in advance (like jiaozi or tangyuan) and freeze them for serving during the celebrations
• Buy fresh fish (carp or sea bass) on January 28 to cook on January 29 (fish symbolizes abundance and must be served whole, with head and tail intact)
• Prepare or purchase nian gao (sticky rice cake) from Asian bakeries (served as dessert or breakfast during the festivities)
• Invite family and friends to the New Year’s Eve dinner (January 28) and confirm attendance to calculate food and drink quantities
• Buy lucky fruits (mandarins, pomelos, or pineapples) for decorating the table and gifting (avoid pears, associated with separation)
• Settle outstanding debts before the New Year (avoiding debts during the festivities is considered good luck)
• Plan the New Year’s Eve dinner menu (include 8 main dishes, the number of prosperity, and avoid beef or chicken with bones)
• Purchase firecrackers and fireworks (if allowed in your area) to ward off evil spirits on the night of January 28
• Set up an altar with offerings for ancestors (fruits, sweets, tea, and candles) and light incense on the first day of the year
• Coordinate with family to visit temples on the second day of the New Year (the start of visits to relatives and friends)
• Create a contact list for sending New Year’s greetings via WeChat or SMS on the first day of the year (avoid sending messages after midnight on January 28)
• Buy gifts for hosts if visiting family (common options: fruit baskets, high-quality tea, or liquor)