A Red Mosaic Across Borders: Connecting the Chinese Diaspora to Truth
With a UN General Assembly resolution adopted on December 22, 2023, Lunar New Year was listed as a UN floating holiday in the UN calendar of conferences and meetings beginning in 2024, and UN entities were encouraged to avoid scheduling meetings on that day where it is observed.1 In addition, “Spring Festival—social practices of the Chinese people in celebration of traditional new year” was inscribed in 2024 on UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.2 Together, these developments reflect how a celebration long regarded as one of the most important festivals in Chinese culture has moved beyond ethnic and national boundaries.
The red lanterns of Spring Festival no longer illuminate only China or the broader Sinosphere. In the United States, for example, New York State public schools are now closed statewide for Lunar New Year.3 In Mauritius—an island nation east of Madagascar in the Indian Ocean—Chinese Spring Festival is listed as a statutory public holiday under national law.4
In South America, Lunar New Year is also recognized as a public holiday in Suriname.5 In Central America, Panama announced nationwide celebrations tied to Lunar New Year beginning in 2022.6 In Brazil, cities such as Recife and Foz do Iguaçu have passed local measures adding Chinese New Year to official municipal calendars.7
Across Europe, Lunar New Year celebrations fill major public spaces in London and Paris; in the Southern Hemisphere, Sydney’s Haymarket festival brings the season to life under summer skies. From winter celebrations in the north to summer festivities in the south, these locations may seem distant from one another, yet they share a deep cultural inheritance shaped by the Chinese diaspora. Wherever Spring Festival is celebrated, Chinese communities are present. This worldwide cultural mosaic is more than an expression of ethnic identity. It can also become a spiritual map—guiding communities rooted in tradition toward a living encounter with the truth of the gospel.
“Success at the Horse’s Arrival”: Re-Anchoring Our Lives to a Heavenly Goal
The Year of the Horse is often associated with speed, strength, and forward momentum. As this new lunar year begins, our reflections on “the horse” go beyond folk symbolism or festive imagery. They invite us into a deeper conversation about the direction and lordship of our lives.
At the turn of the year, zodiac animals are frequently woven into cultural blessings. We hope to “take the lead” (一馬當先 yī mǎ dāng xiān), longing for advantage and momentum. We admire “the vitality of the dragon and the horse” (龍馬精神 lóng mǎ jīng shén), desiring strength that can endure. We celebrate “success at the horse’s arrival” (馬到成功 mǎ dào chéng gōng), hoping our efforts will quickly bear fruit. Beneath these lively expressions—run fast, run well, arrive successfully—lies a deeper human longing for security and meaning.
Scripture gently reorients us.
“The horse is made ready for the day of battle, but the victory belongs to the LORD.” (Proverbs 21:31)
This verse does not deny preparation or effort. Rather, in an age obsessed with speed, it steadies our hearts. While the world celebrates horsepower and momentum, God calls us to align our direction. We prepare the horse, but we entrust victory and outcomes to the One who holds history.
Similarly, Scripture reminds us:
“The war horse is a false hope for salvation, and by its great might it cannot rescue.” (Psalm 33:17)
This is not a rejection of ambition or diligence. It is an invitation to redirect the energy that drives us forward—from ritual reliance and self-sufficiency toward trust in the Creator. As the Lord declares:
“Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the LORD of hosts.” (Zechariah 4:6)
True “taking the lead” is learning to release our obsession with speed so that our steps keep time with God’s rhythm. True vitality is discovered not by pushing through exhaustion, but by returning again and again to the Source who renews our strength. And the deepest “success at the horse’s arrival” is not reaching a finish line applauded by others, but arriving at the end of the journey able to say: we kept our eyes on the heavenly goal, and we did not turn aside.
A Chinese New Year Prayer Calendar
Keeping Watch Together Across Cultures and Borders
As families gather to welcome the New Year, may these words accompany Chinese believers everywhere. In the joy of reunion, feasting, and celebration, may we retain spiritual clarity. In the noise of festivity and transition, may we remain attentive in prayer, guarding space to be with God.
This Chinese New Year Prayer Calendar begins with cultural observation and theological reflection. From Lunar Little New Year’s Eve (小年 Xiǎonián) to the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, each day pairs a traditional custom with Scripture and a prayer focus. Our hope is to walk with you through a busy season, offering daily moments of stillness, intercession, and remembrance.
This is more than a cultural journey. It is an invitation to slow down at the beginning of a fast-moving year, and to realign our direction in the Lord. As we ask the True Light to shine upon tradition and society, we are joined with brothers and sisters across China and the Chinese diaspora. May these seventeen days of prayer mark a faithful beginning to the lunar year as we run together toward Christ’s goal.
Amen.
Download the Lunar New Year Prayer Calendar—available in two versions below:
A beautifully designed, printer-friendly version of this prayer calendar is also available:
This article was originally written in Chinese and is presented here in an English translation edited by the ChinaSource team, with the author’s permission.
- Government of the People’s Republic of China, “Spring Festival Listed as UN Floating Holiday,” December 23, 2023, https://english.www.gov.cn/news/202312/23/content_WS65865f05c6d0868f4e8e2760.html.
- UNESCO, “Spring Festival: Social Practices of the Chinese People in Celebration of Traditional New Year,” Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, 2024, https://ich.unesco.org/en/RL/spring-festival-social-practices-of-the-chinese-people-in-celebration-of-traditional-new-year-02126.
- Office of the Governor of New York, “Governor Hochul Signs Legislation to Declare Lunar New Year a Public School Holiday,” September 9, 2023, https://www.governor.ny.gov/news/governor-hochul-signs-legislation-declare-lunar-new-year-school-holiday.
- Republic of Mauritius, Public Holidays Act, Second Schedule, listing “Day of Celebration of Chinese Spring Festival,” https://lawsofmauritius.govmu.org.
- Time and Date AS, “Lunar New Year in Suriname,” holiday listing, https://www.timeanddate.com/holidays/suriname/lunar-new-year.
- CGTN, “Panama to Launch Nationwide Celebrations for 2022 Chinese New Year,” November 13, 2021, https://news.cgtn.com/news/2021-11-13/Panama-to-launch-nationwide-celebrations-for-2022-Chinese-New-Year-15a0QhSo8KY.
- Forum Macao, “Brazilian Cities Include Chinese New Year in Official Calendars,” https://www.forumchinaplp.org.mo/en/economic_trade/view/2252.
