{"id":39206,"date":"2026-02-19T14:35:56","date_gmt":"2026-02-19T13:35:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/magazine.luxus-plus.com\/?p=39206"},"modified":"2026-02-19T14:45:35","modified_gmt":"2026-02-19T13:45:35","slug":"chinese-new-year-explained-in-10-key-figures","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/magazine.luxus-plus.com\/en\/chinese-new-year-explained-in-10-key-figures\/","title":{"rendered":"Chinese New Year explained in 10 key figures"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Much more than a community celebration, the transition to the new lunar year has become a global economic and cultural pivot. As international cities deck themselves out in gold and red, this ancient festival has become the beating heart of Chinese influence, reshaping trends in consumption, luxury goods, and soft diplomacy around the world.<\/p>\n

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February 17, 2026: a symbolic date marking a new beginning<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Chinese New Year 2026 begins on February 17<\/strong>, a public holiday in China and several other Asian countries<\/strong>. This date, calculated according to the lunar cycle, marks the start of Chunyun\u2014the largest human migration in the world. Nearly 3 billion trips are expected over 40 days<\/strong> (by train, plane, and road), according to the Chinese government’s usual estimates. This phenomenon temporarily boosts the transport and tourism sectors<\/strong>, but also reveals economic tensions: in 2026, despite official growth of 5%, the real estate crisis is weighing on household purchasing power, making these family reunions more symbolic than ever.<\/p>\n

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60 years: the astrological rarity that attracts collectors<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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Limited edition Riding the clouds watch @ Swatch Group<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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The Year of the Fire Horse<\/b> only occurs once every 60 years<\/b> (the last time was in 1966) and the next one will not be until 2086. After nearly three years of stagnation, signs of recovery are expected in 2026. And that’s good news, as the Year of the Horse corresponds to the equestrian heritage of many prestigious fashion houses. Brands are capitalizing on this rarity to create collector’s items: Dior, for example, is launching a \u201cClover Garden<\/b>\u201d collection featuring skirts, bags, and sneakers adorned with horse motifs, lucky clovers, and toile de Jouy patterns. For their part, Piaget and Vacheron Constantin<\/b> are unveiling watches engraved with the noble animal, and Swatch<\/b> is launching Riding the Clouds<\/b>, created in collaboration with artist Yu Wenjie. <\/b>Meanwhile, Aur\u00e9lie Bidermann<\/b> is launching the Laodice<\/i><\/b> collection, exploring the universal symbol of the horseshoe, a symbol of luck and protection. It’s a strategy that’s paying off: according to the Swiss Watch Federation, sales in the \u201czodiac\u201d watch segment are growing by 15 to 20% in rare years.<\/p>\n

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5 elements: the key to understanding the year (and brand marketing)<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Chinese astrology is based on five elements<\/strong> (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water) that color each year. In 2026, the element of Fire<\/strong> dominates, symbolizing passion, transformation, and explosive energy.<\/p>\n

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474 million trips in China during the New Year holidays (2024)<\/strong><\/h3>\n

During the Chinese New Year holidays, a total of 474 million trips<\/strong> were recorded within China in 2024<\/strong>, an increase of 34.4%<\/strong> compared to 2023 and 19% compared to 2019. This massive movement illustrates the high consumption of services (transport, catering, accommodation) linked to the holiday\u2014a dynamic that European tourism players want to capture in turn. 27.9% of Chinese stays in France take place around Chinese New Year.<\/strong><\/p>\n

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632.7 billion yuan spent on tourism in China during the New Year (\u2248 \u20ac81.5 billion)<\/strong><\/h3>\n

During the Lunar New Year holidays in China, tourism spending reached 632.7 billion yuan<\/strong>, or approximately \u20ac81.5 billion<\/strong> in 2024, 7.7% more than in 2019<\/strong> before the pandemic, according to the Chinese Ministry of Culture and Tourism. This shows the importance of the festival in boosting consumption<\/strong> and its impact on global tourist flows \u2014 some of which benefit international destinations such as France.<\/p>\n

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Unsplash<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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14 million Chinese cross-border trips during the New Year (global trend)<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Globally, 14 million cross-border trips were made during the Chinese New Year celebrations<\/strong>, an increase of around 6% year-on-year<\/strong>, illustrating the international influence of the festival and its link to the tourism business \u2014 which indirectly benefits European destinations such as France.<\/p>\n

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65%: domestic refocusing and cultural affirmation<\/strong><\/h3>\n

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In 2025, 65% of Chinese consumers’ luxury purchases are made in the domestic market<\/strong>, marking a sharp reversal from the previous two years. According to an analysis by Bain & Company, the weakening of the currency and the reduction in international price differences have encouraged this refocusing, despite the resumption of overseas travel. This shift is forcing brands to rethink their distribution strategies: the challenge is no longer just global visibility, but the ability to create powerful, culturally rooted experiences in China. Tiffany & Co.<\/strong> provides an example of this with its 2026 Chinese New Year campaign, reinterpreting Schlumberger’s Pegasus in a dreamlike aesthetic that blends heritage and contemporary storytelling.<\/p>\n

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Laodice collection \u00a9 <\/span>Aur\u00e9lie Biderman<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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At the same time, local brands are gaining ground<\/strong>: their share of luxury spending is expected to reach 44%, particularly in jewelry. Driven by a tense geopolitical context and more assertive consumption, this growth is also based on a real move upmarket, combining innovation and cultural relevance. Faced with this dynamic, international brands must demonstrate tangible added value. Loewe <\/strong>illustrates this requirement by drawing inspiration from Chinese monochrome ceramics, supporting the artisans of Jingdezhen, and investing in the transmission of know-how, thus affirming a deep and lasting cultural commitment.<\/p>\n

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80% red: the must-have color for celebrations (and dress codes)<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Red<\/strong>, a symbol of prosperity, dominates celebrations: decorations, hongbao envelopes, and above all… wardrobes. In 2026, 80% of outfits worn on New Year’s Eve will incorporate this color, according to a Mango survey. Brands are riding the trend: Emporio Armani is offering a red \u201cLucky Horse\u201d suit embroidered with equestrian motifs ; Herm\u00e8s<\/strong>: a collector’s silk scarf narrating the legend of the celestial horse, woven with golden threads; Boucheron<\/strong>: a \u201cCheval de Feu\u201d pendant in red gold and rubies, inspired by Tang prints.<\/p>\n

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Unsplash<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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1.2 billion digital messages and $40 billion: the digitization of traditions<\/strong><\/h3>\n

In 2026, the sending of greetings via WeChat and WhatsApp reached a record 1.2 billion messages<\/strong> exchanged in just 24 hours in China, according to Tencent. This hyper-digitization is profoundly reshaping New Year’s rituals: red envelopes (hongbao<\/em>) are becoming virtual, with e-hongbao peaking at over $40 billion in one week, putting electronic payment infrastructures worldwide to the test; lion dances are experienced in augmented reality, and family dinners are open to distant relatives thanks to screens.<\/p>\n

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-0.8% birth rate: the demographic challenge in the background<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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Horiz @ Geraldine Martens<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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Behind the festivities lies an alarming figure: China’s birth rate is set to fall by 0.8% in 2025<\/strong> (source: National Bureau of Statistics). This decline will hurt the economy in the long term and influence traditions: fewer children means fewer red envelopes distributed, but also a shift in spending. Adults without children are shifting their \u201cgift\u201d budget toward personal luxury (travel, spas) or experiences. Some brands are capitalizing on this shift in habits, such as Shangri-La Hotels<\/strong>, which offers \u201cNew Year’s Eve for One\u201d packages combining meditation and gourmet dining. In the same vein, the Chinese restaurant Hori<\/strong>z, located on Rue Volta in Paris, is part of this trend: its chef, Olivier Lin<\/strong>, has created a tasting menu specially designed to celebrate the New Year.<\/p>\n

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The Year of the Fire Horse 2026 embodies a paradox: undeniable cultural vitality, but a Chinese economy under strain. The 10 key figures show that while traditions (migration, the color red, digital messages) remain strong, structural imbalances (birth rate, consumption) are weighing heavily. Luxury brands have understood this: their success lies in striking a balance between celebrating heritage and adapting to new realities. As the Chinese proverb says: \u201cThe horse gallops, but the rider must hold the reins\u201d<\/strong><\/em>.<\/strong> A metaphor that also applies to the global economy in 2026.<\/p>\n

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\u00a9 <\/span>Tiffany & Co<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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Read also > <\/b>The little story of\u2026 Chinese New Year<\/a><\/p>\n

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Featured photo: \u00a9 Getty Images\/Unsplash+<\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

  Much more than a community celebration, the transition to the new lunar year has become a global economic and cultural pivot. As international cities deck themselves out in gold and red, this ancient festival has become the beating heart of Chinese influence, reshaping trends in consumption, luxury goods, and soft diplomacy around the world.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":555,"featured_media":39217,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"Chinese New Year has now gone beyond being a cultural celebration to become a global cultural and economic event.","_seopress_robots_index":"","_seopress_robots_follow":"","_seopress_robots_imageindex":"","_seopress_robots_snippet":"","_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"none","_seopress_robots_breadcrumbs":"","_seopress_robots_freeze_modified_date":"","_seopress_robots_custom_modified_date":"","_seopress_robots_canonical":"","_seopress_social_fb_title":"","_seopress_social_fb_desc":"","_seopress_social_fb_img":"","_seopress_social_fb_img_attachment_id":0,"_seopress_social_fb_img_width":0,"_seopress_social_fb_img_height":0,"_seopress_social_twitter_title":"","_seopress_social_twitter_desc":"","_seopress_social_twitter_img":"","_seopress_social_twitter_img_attachment_id":0,"_seopress_social_twitter_img_width":0,"_seopress_social_twitter_img_height":0,"_seopress_redirections_value":"","_seopress_redirections_enabled":"","_seopress_redirections_enabled_regex":"","_seopress_redirections_logged_status":"both","_seopress_redirections_param":"","_seopress_redirections_type":301,"_seopress_analysis_target_kw":"","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[707,17],"tags":[661,2151,169],"class_list":["post-39206","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-data-en","category-news","tag-chine-en","tag-data-en","tag-festivites-en"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/magazine.luxus-plus.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/39206","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/magazine.luxus-plus.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/magazine.luxus-plus.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/magazine.luxus-plus.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/555"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/magazine.luxus-plus.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=39206"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/magazine.luxus-plus.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/39206\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/magazine.luxus-plus.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/39217"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/magazine.luxus-plus.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=39206"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/magazine.luxus-plus.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=39206"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/magazine.luxus-plus.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=39206"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}