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Are you ready for the 2025 Lunar New Year? Even if the traditions aren’t part of your culture, they are deeply engrained in Chinese culture. If your job requires liaising with China, then the eight-day public holiday should be marked in your calendar as it’s possible supply chains to Australia and New Zealand may be impacted.

Here’s a quick overview of the festival, the celebrations and what you, and your clients can expect.

1. When does the 2025 Lunar New Year begin?

The 2025 Lunar New Year will begin with the appearance of the new moon on 29 January. However, celebrations begin the day before and last for 15 days. The most important dates are Chinese New Year’s Eve on 28 January, New Year’s Day on the 29th and the Lantern Festival on 12 February. The public holiday closure is from 28 January to 4 February 2025 inclusive.

2. What is the Lunar New Year?

Historical records suggest that Lunar New Year has been celebrated in China for more than 3500 years. Originally, it was marked by sacrificial ceremonies to honour ancestors and gods. Today, it’s a time for family, gratitude, renewal and hope for a prosperous future, with celebrations including family reunions, dragon dances and lantern displays. Typically, 28 January is the family reunion dinner, which usually involves staying up until midnight to welcome in the new year. Communities in China and various other Asian countries mark the end of festivities with a colourful Lantern Festival.

3. A legendary start

The origins of Lunar New Year celebrations are shrouded in the mists of myth and legend. One of the most popular legends concerns Nian, a terrifying monster thought to feast on human flesh on New Year’s Day. When villagers discovered he was afraid of loud noises, bright lights and the colour red, they drove him away with firecrackers, red lanterns and other red decorations.

4. What other countries celebrate the Lunar New Year?

While China is still home to the most notable celebrations, other countries also mark the event. For example, Lunar New Year is the biggest traditional holiday in Vietnam, where it is known as Tết, and in South Korea, it’s known as Seollal. There are also festivities in Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan, Brunei, Hong Kong, Macau, Indonesia, the Philippines, East Timor and Thailand. Outside Asia, Lunar New Year is celebrated in Suriname in South America and the archipelago of Mauritius.

5. What is 2025 the year of?

Each lunar year is represented by one of the 12 animals that comprise the Chinese zodiac – rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, goat, monkey, rooster, dog and pig. 2025 is the Year of the Snake – a symbol of wisdom, intuition and transformation.

6. What does the snake represent?

In business, the snake is said to support strategic and long-term thinking, innovation and continuous learning. According to tradition, businesses should be particularly vigilant when it comes to spending and ensure sound financial plans are in place.

7. Holiday disruption

In many countries, Lunar New Year is marked by public holidays. These range from one day in Indonesia (29 January 2025) to eight in China (28 January to 4 February 2025). Factories, ports and warehouses either close or operate with a reduced workforce, which slows down manufacturing and delivery times, and can often increase shipping costs. Be aware that it can take up to six weeks for factories and operations to return to normal.

8. Minimising challenges

As an accountant, you can build stronger relationships with your clients by discussing how Lunar New Year might affect their business and the steps they can take to minimise disruption. This could include ordering more stock before the holidays, engaging alternative suppliers or simply keeping a close eye on cash flow during this period.

9. Maximising opportunities

Lunar New Year brings important opportunities for many businesses in Australia and New Zealand, particularly those who benefit from an influx of tourists. While Chinese visitors arriving in January and February are yet to recover to pre-pandemic numbers, the hospitality, food, retail, entertainment and cultural sectors can still expect a boost in business.

10. Taboos to be aware of

If you’re not already familiar with the practices and traditions of Lunar New Year, learning about them would be a sign of respect for clients who celebrate the event. They range from the practical – not scheduling meetings on certain dates – to cultural taboos, such as avoiding negative words such as: death, sickness, poverty and ghosts. Use euphemisms instead, like ‘somebody is gone’.

Some taboos and superstitions that aren’t really feasible today are: not taking medication otherwise the person will get ill for the whole year, and not sweeping the floors or taking out the garbage on the first day of the new year, in case you brush away good luck and dump out the good fortune from the house.

Doing a small amount of research on the dos and don’ts will save you from offending any colleagues or clients.