Chinese New Year 2027: A 15-Day Family Activity Calendar
This is a sample of Days 1–3 from Lore of China’s 15-Day Spring Festival Activity Calendar for 2027. Each day offers a custom, a family-friendly story (a traditional legend or an original story, clearly labeled), a five-minute activity, and a conversation starter. The remaining days will be added as the calendar is updated.
Grown-ups: please supervise anything involving hot water. We do not suggest that children light incense.
Day 1 · Saturday, February 6, 2027 · First day of the first lunar month
Today's custom
In many families, people wear new clothes and visit relatives and neighbors to offer New Year greetings. Tradition holds that brooms are set aside on the first day in some households; this custom is widely recorded, though practices vary by region.
A legend to read aloud
One popular legend tells of a fierce mountain creature called Nian. It was said to come near villages at the turn of the year, and people learned to hang red paper, light bright lamps, and make loud noises to send it away. The next morning, neighbors would step outside in new clothes, greet one another, and celebrate that everyone was safe. Over time, the story became a way of explaining why New Year visits, red decorations, and cheerful noise feel so central to the holiday. Some versions say Nian feared the color red and the sound of firecrackers; other versions leave those details out. This is a legend, not a history lesson, but it captures the warm spirit of the first day: dress freshly, greet family and neighbors, and begin the year together.
Five-minute activity
You need: Paper and a pen or pencil
- Give each person a small slip of paper and ask them to secretly choose one Chinese zodiac animal.
- Set a one-minute timer; the person acts out the animal without speaking while others guess.
- Take turns until everyone has had a quick turn, or play as a team and guess together.
- Use the site page to look up each person's birth-year zodiac animal and compare the list.
Play more: Chinese Zodiac
Talk about it
Which zodiac animal is in your birth year, and which animal would you choose for a family team?
Source note: widely recorded folk custom; practices vary by region
Free printable from Lore of China · loreofchina.com/chinese-new-year-activities
Day 2 · Sunday, February 7, 2027 · Second day of the first lunar month
Today's custom
In many families, a married daughter visits her parents' home on the second day, often with her husband and children. This is commonly called 'returning to the natal home.' Some families prepare a welcoming meal or tea for the visit; customs vary by region.
A short story we wrote for today (inspired by the custom, not a traditional tale)
Once upon a time, there was a young woman who moved to a village far from her parents. After her wedding, she was busy learning new customs and helping her new household. Her parents missed her, and she missed them. One New Year, her mother sent a small packet of tea and a note: 'Come home on the second day, and bring your new family.' The young woman and her husband walked over the winter fields, carrying sweets and tea. Her parents set out warm cushions and a simple pot of tea. Neighbors saw the happy reunion and began to do the same, welcoming daughters and sons-in-law on the second day. This is a made-up story, not a traditional tale and not an explanation of where the custom came from; it is simply a way to talk about why a visit home can feel so warm.
Five-minute activity
You need: Mugs, warm water or herbal tea, tea bags or cinnamon sticks, and a small snack; no real tea is needed
- An adult heats water and pours warm—not boiling—water for children.
- Each person chooses a herbal tea bag or a cinnamon stick and places it in a mug.
- The adult adds the warm water; everyone waits one minute and describes the color and smell.
- Take turns saying one welcoming thing to another person, as if inviting a guest to tea.
- Use /gongfu-tea for a simple family tea-party idea.
Play more: Gongfu Tea
Talk about it
What makes a guest feel welcome in our home?
Source note: widely recorded folk custom; practices vary by region
Free printable from Lore of China · loreofchina.com/chinese-new-year-activities
Day 3 · Monday, February 8, 2027 · Third day of the first lunar month
Today's custom
In many places, the third day is known as 'Red Mouth' or 'Red Dog' day, a time when some families choose to stay home and rest. Tradition holds that visiting and quarreling are avoided in some households, and families may go to bed early. Practices vary widely by region.
A short story we wrote for today (inspired by the day's name "Red Dog", not a traditional tale)
Long ago, in a story we made up for today, a red-haired dog wandered from village to village at the start of the year. It was not a monster; it was simply noisy and restless. Wherever it barked, people stopped their work, leaned out of windows, and began to argue about whose gate it had scratched or whose chickens it had startled. An old grandmother, tired of the commotion, invited her neighbors inside for quiet tea and simple stories. By evening, no one had quarreled. The next year, some families remembered her example and chose the third day for staying home, resting, and sleeping early. This fictional story does not explain the real origin of the day's name, and customs differ from place to place; it is just a gentle way to talk about a calm day after two busy days of visiting.
Five-minute activity
You need: Paper plate or sheet of paper, and a marker or pencil
- Draw a simple spiral on the paper, starting in the center and winding outward.
- Mark the start and end as a five-minute 'quiet timer' pattern—or use a watch for timing.
- Take turns tracing the spiral slowly with a finger while naming quiet things you can do at home.
- Watch the /incense-clock animation together to see how a traditional incense clock is timed.
- Do not light incense; this activity uses only drawing and watching.
Play more: The Incense Clock
Talk about it
Why might a family choose a quiet day at home together?
Source note: folk custom, varies by region; the Red Mouth/Red Dog name and practices differ locally
Free printable from Lore of China · loreofchina.com/chinese-new-year-activities
Days 4–15 (February 9–20, 2027, ending with the Lantern Festival) are on the way. Bookmark this page and check back.
