By Lisa E Kirkwood
The month of February 2026 is marked by major celebrations that unite eastern and western cultural traditions on all populated continents, from Europe and Asia, to Africa, Australia, and the Americas. These important events not only carry on historical and national heritage elements, but they are also social highlights and community building opportunities among individuals of various backgrounds, ethnicities, races, and creeds.
Chinese New Year
Worldwide appreciation for the “Dragon Nation”
A beloved holiday observed in China and way beyond its borders, Chinese New Yearunites Chinese nationals, Chinese diaspora, and foreigners who value and embrace the wisdom of this ancient country with its long history and rich traditions that have been preserved and honored to this day.
A legendary creature, most commonly depicted as snake-like with four legs, the dragon is a revered symbol in Chinese mythology, folklore, and culture, representing power, good fortune, and emperors, leading many Chinese people to identify as “Descendants of the Dragon”.
Historically, the Chinese dragon was associated with the ruling dynasties of China and used as a symbol to represent imperial power. Emperors and high officials wore robes with dragon motifs showcasing their status and authority.
In the West, the dragon is commonly viewed as a national emblem of China, with its people and culture. The Chinese dragon has very different connotations from the European dragon; in European cultures, the dragon is a fire-breathing creature with aggressive connotations, whereas the Chinese dragon is a spiritual and cultural symbol that represents prosperity and good luck, as well as a rain deity that fosters harmony. This is also a sign of ethnic identity, as part of a trend started in the 1970s when different Asian nationalities were looking for animal symbols as representations.
Chinese New Yearalso widely known as Lunar New Year or Spring Festival has gained enormous popularity and has been widely included in other Asian cultures that celebrate similar holidays. Nowadays, it is observed throughout the world, representing the end of winter and beginning of spring.
It is one of the most important holidays in Chinese and worldwide culture and was placed on the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity list in 2024.
The first day of the Chinese New Year falls on the new moon that appears between 21 January and 20 February. In 2026, this event falls on Tuesday, February 17, marking, according to the Chinese traditional zodiac, the start of the Year of the Fire Horse, a period symbolizing energy, movement, and potential challenges, with major celebrations and family gatherings lasting about 16 days. Festivities conclude with the Lantern Festival in early March.
Chinese New Yearmost important traditions include family reunions, when lots of people travel home for the feast; red envelopes containing lucky money that are gifted to children and elders; fireworks, lion and dragon dances which are common displays to ward off evil spirits and welcome good fortune; lanterns used to decorate and mark the end of the festivities.
Chinese New Year is associated with several myths and customs. The festival was traditionally a time to honor deities and ancestors. Throughout China, different regions celebrate the New Year with distinct local customs. Chinese New Year’s Eve is an occasion for Chinese families to gather for the annual reunion dinner.
Every family thoroughly cleans their house, symbolically sweeping away any ill fortune to make way for incoming good luck. Windows and doors are decorated with red papercuts and couplets representing themes such as good fortune, happiness, wealth, and longevity. Other activities include lighting firecrackers and giving family members money in red envelopes.
In Taiwan, Chinese New Year emphasizes honoring ancestors through elaborate rituals, including offering food and incense at home altars. Taiwanese families often prioritize local delicacies, such as pineapple and rice cakes, symbolizing prosperity and good fortune. While large firework displays are popular in some places, Taiwan tends to focus more on temple visits, lantern-lighting ceremonies, and family reunions.
Chinese New Year is also celebrated outside of China in regions and countries with significant overseas Chinese populations, in Asia, Australia, Europe, Africa, and the Americas. Chinese New Year has influenced celebrations of the Lunar New Year, in many other cultures. Foreigners have become increasingly fond of Chinese-inspired clothing trends and fashion, along with movies, music, and culinary specialties, and this traditional festival is the perfect opportunity to learn more about Chinese culture.
In Sydney, Australia, where there are numerous Chinese communities, Chinese New Year annually attracts over 600,000 attendees to the festivities in Chinatown. The events span over three weeks and include a launch celebration, outdoor markets, evening street food stalls, Chinese opera performances, dragon boat races, a film festival, and multiple parades featuring participants from Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and Vietnamese communities. The main parade, which sees over 100,000 spectators and involves more than 3,500 performers, is a notable highlight of the celebrations. The festival also attracts international media coverage, reaching millions of viewers in Asia.
The festival in Sydney is organized in partnership with a different Chinese province each year. In addition to Sydney, other state capital cities in Australia also celebrate the Chinese New Year due to the large number of Chinese residents in those areas. In New Zealand, Auckland hosts the Lantern Festival for 4 days, Wellington hosts a two-day weekend festival for Chinese New Year, and a one-day festival is held in Dunedin, centered on the city’s Chinese gardens.
In Los Angeles, USA, The Golden Dragon Parade has happened annually in Chinatown, since 1899, and it’s one of the oldest and largest Chinese New Year parades outside of Asia. Beginning in the 1970s, famous Asian American actors have held the title of Grand Marshall of the parade, the first being Bruce Lee.
Around Southern California, other communities also put on festivals and parades that last multiple days, many people go to temples, and shopping malls are decked out for the observance of this holiday. Disneyland California Adventure in Anaheim celebrates Chinese New Year by decorating certain areas of the park in Chinese displays, serving specialty East Asian foods, and allowing for character photos with Mulan, Mushu, Raya, Tigger, and Mickey and Minnie Mouse in Chinese Costumes.
Signed into law in 2022 and effective in 2023, California declared the Lunar New Year a state government holiday. Many communities throughout California hold large celebrations taking place in the San Francisco Bay Area and Greater Los Angeles.
Other cities in North America, whether large or small, sponsor official parades for Chinese New Year, and even small towns that are historically connected with Chinese immigration, have been hosting Chinese-themed events with colorful floats, displays and costumes inspired by mythology and folklore, lanterns and traditional zodiac imagery, fireworks, music, dance, martial arts demonstrations, and local beauty pageants.
These vibrant spectacles featuring iconic elements are centered around themes of good fortune, family, and renewal for the new year and are highly appreciated by community members of all nationalities with their diverse cultural and ethnic heritage.
Ramadan
The holy month of Islam
Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic lunar calendar. It is observed by Muslims worldwide as a month of fasting (sawm), communal prayer (salah), reflection, and community connections. It is also the month in which the Quran is believed to have been revealed to the Islamic prophet Muhammad. The annual observance of Ramadan is regarded as one of the five pillars of Islam and lasts twenty-nine to thirty days, from one sighting of the crescent moon to the next. In 2026, Ramadan starts around February 17 and ends around March 18. Exact dates depend on local moon sightings. The Islamic year consists of 12 lunar cycles, and consequently it is 10 to 11 days shorter than the solar year, thus Ramadan changes throughout the seasons.
Fasting from dawn to sunset is obligatory (fard) for adult Muslims, with the exception of persons with certain physical conditions. Children are not required to fast either. Teenagers begin the practice with shorter fasting times.
The predawn meal is referred to as suhur, and the nightly feast that breaks the fast is called iftar. Although rulings (fatawa) have been issued declaring that Muslims who live in regions with a midnight sun or polar night should follow the timetable of Mecca, it is common practice to follow the timetable of the closest country in which night can be distinguished from day.
The spiritual rewards (thawab) of fasting are believed to be multiplied during Ramadan. Accordingly, during the hours of fasting, Muslims refrain not only from food and drink, but also from all behavior deemed to be sinful in Islam, devoting themselves instead to prayers, spiritual development, self-reflection, charity, and study of the Quran. Many Muslims aim to read the entire text during this holy month.
In addition to the five daily prayers, special night prayers (tarawih) are performed. Family gatherings, community service, volunteering and donations are all highlights of this spiritual observance. Muslims continue to work during Ramadan, but working hours are often shortened and religious accommodations may change in various countries. The end of Ramadan is celebrated with Eid al-Fitr, the “Festival of Breaking the Fast” Eid also marks the return to regular eating, drinking, and marital intimacy.
The length of the dawn to sunset timing varies in different parts of the world according to summer or winter solstices of the Sun. In polar regions, the period between dawn and sunset may exceed twenty-two hours in summer. As sunrise and sunset occur sixteen times each a day in low-Earth orbit, Muslim astronauts in space schedule religious practices and daily prayers around the time zone of the ground station or launch site used for the respective mission.
St. Valentine’s Day
A love fest across the globe
The most prominent story of Saint Valentine tells of a Roman priest and physician who lived in the 3rd century AD and defied Emperor Claudius II by secretly performing marriages. Claudius had prohibited young men from marrying, believing that single soldiers made better fighters. Valentine was imprisoned for his actions and, according to one legend, left a final letter to the jailer’s daughter—who he had befriended and possibly healed—signed “From your Valentine”. He was martyred in 270 AD, on February 14th, a date that became associated with love, while the signature on his final letter gave rise to the tradition of sending Valentine’s cards.
The Catholic Church recognized Valentine as a martyr and eventually made him the patron saint of lovers. February 14th became St. Valentine’s Day, a day to honor his sacrifice and celebrate love in its various forms, including romantic love, friendship, and kindness.
The custom of sending cards, flowers, chocolates and other gifts originated in the UK in the 19th century, and spread throughout the world, with many countries observing this day and connecting it with the early arrival of spring. In some places, Valentine’s Day has only recently been celebrated as the day of love.
In many Latin American countries, Saint Valentine’s Day is known as Día de los Enamorados/Dia dos Namorados (Lovers’ Day), Día del Cariño (Affection Day), or as Día del Amor y la Amistad (Love and Friendship Day), with many people showing appreciation for their friends.
On the United States mainland, it’s estimated that about 200 million Valentine’s Day cards are sent each year by school children and couples of various ages.
Valentine’s Day is a major source of economic activity worldwide, with total expenditures amounting to tens of billions each year. Purchases include jewelry, flowers, chocolates, candy, dinner dates, and greeting cards. Roses, especially red roses, are the most popular flowers, and custom gifts are decorated with love motifs.
In some non-Christian countries, conservatives feel that celebrating this day is not acceptable from a cultural and religious point of view and have actively tried to ban it. Nowadays, the youth openly defy old rules by public displays of affection and gift giving associated with free-will love against oppressive traditions. During the ‘90s, the Western custom of celebrating Valentine’s Day became increasingly popular in Eastern countries, as more people had access to foreign cultural trends through mass media communication.
Commercial TV channels, such as MTV, dedicated radio programs, and love letter competitions, in addition to economic liberalization led to the spread of this new observance and to a massive growth of the Valentine card industry. As of the early 2000s, one of the reasons for Valentine’s Day acceptance by the general population was the change in relations between the genders, and because sexual relationships are no longer strictly limited to marriage. In modern culture, Valentine’s Day revived many ancient practices of celebrating love in various countries, at different times of the year, often overlapping in significance and impact.
The three events observed during this month of February are yet another social proof of global cultural merging, when people from different nations and continents unite in honoring humanity first and foremost, to overcome language and social barriers for the sake of harmony, unity, and peace.
Such notable festivities and countless derived customs can bring us even closer together as we walk hand in hand towards a better future with prosperity and equality for all.
