Table Of Contents
Chinese New Year is one of the most fascinating and colorful holidays in the world, and in 2025 Milan is preparing to celebrate it in grand style.
Indeed, the Chinese community has deep and historic roots in the Lombard capital, playing a key role in the city’s cultural and social fabric. With its restaurants, stores and businesses, it contributes to making Milan a crossroads of cultures and traditions.
During Chinese New Year, the streets come alive with colors, sounds and scents as celebrations involve not only members of the Chinese community, but also Milanese and tourists curious to discover this fascinating tradition.
But before we delve into the details of this celebration, let’s take a step back and find out how this age-old tradition came about.
The legend of the Chinese New Year
According to legend, Chinese New Year originated from a mythological creature called Nian, a monster that emerged each year to terrorize villages. The frightened villagers would take refuge in their homes, but one day a wise old man discovered that Nian feared the color red, noise and bright lights.
From that moment, to drive away the monster, the Chinese began to decorate their houses with red lanterns, set off firecrackers and wear clothes of this color. Thus, Chinese New Year became a time of celebration and family reunion, marking the beginning of a new year and the hope for prosperity and good fortune.
Chinese New Year has ancient roots, linked to agricultural traditions and ancestor worship. Over the centuries, it has become a time of collective celebration, where deities are honored and fortunes are invoked for the coming year.
When is Chinese New Year?
To know when Chinese New Year, also known as the Spring Festival, is celebrated, we need to know the dates of the new moons.
This is because the traditional Chinese calendar is lunisolar, meaning that the months begin with each new moon. As a result, the starting date of the first month, and thus of the New Year, can vary by about 29 days, coinciding with the second new moon after the winter solstice. This event can occur between January 21 and February 20 of the Gregorian calendar.
In 2025, Chinese New Year will begin on January 29, and the mascot of the Spring Gala will be “Si Shengsheng,” a symbol of blessings and good fortune.
When does the Chinese New Year end?
Chinese New Year festivities traditionally last 15 days, culminating with the Lantern Festival, which in 2025 will be held on February 12. This period is marked by family gatherings, banquets and auspicious rituals.
What will begin this year for the Chinese is the Year of the Wooden Serpent, or little dragon, a period that promises introspection and wisdom.
The Year of the Wooden Serpent: meaning and characteristics
The Year of the Snake is considered a period of reflection and transformation. The snake is a symbol of wisdom and intuition and, combined with the wood element, promises growth, flexibility and renewal, inviting people to explore new ideas and pursue their dreams with determination.
People born under the sign of the serpent are often seen as shrewd and charismatic, able to meet challenges calmly and strategically.
Chinese New Year in Milan 2025: details and events
Milan is preparing to celebrate Chinese New Year 2025 with a series of events and activities that will involve the entire city. Here are some of the most significant dates to mark on your calendar:
- January 28, 2025 – New Year’s Eve (Chúxī): New Year’s Eve is a very important time when families gather for a traditional dinner. It is an opportunity to reflect on the past year and prepare to receive the New Year with joy and hope.
- January 29, 2025 – Beginning of Chinese New Year (Chūyī): families exchange greetings and gifts. In Milan, there will be special events in different parts of the city, with dance performances, music and traditional food.
- Feb. 12, 2025 – Lantern Festival: The Lantern Festival marks the conclusion of the Chinese New Year celebrations. In Milan, a grand parade will take place, which, although not yet officially confirmed, is expected to start at 2 p.m. from Piazza Sempione, near the Arco della Pace. Hundreds of performers will take part in a spectacular parade with traditional music, dances (such as the Lion dance), acrobatics and, of course, the famous giant dragon.
You may remember that until a few years ago, Chinese New Year celebrations were held in Milan’s Chinatown district. In recent years, the traditional Chinese New Year parade has moved to the Arco della Pace because the event has become increasingly popular and beloved, and the steady increase in participants has made a narrow street like Paolo Sarpi inadequate to accommodate all the visitors.
Unmissable traditions of Chinese New Year
Chinese New Year is an event full of fascinating traditions that deserve to be celebrated, not only by the Chinese, but also by us Westerners. Indeed, these rituals offer a meaningful way to start the New Year off right, bringing with them universal values of renewal and hope.
Prominent among them is spring cleaning, a ritual that symbolizes the removal of bad luck and prepares the home to welcome the new year. We, too, can benefit from this gesture, getting rid of the superfluous and creating a fresh, positive space for the new opportunities ahead.
Red decorations are ubiquitous, as this color is considered to bring good luck and prosperity. A particularly beloved tradition is that of red envelopes, containing money, which are given to younger people as a wish for good fortune.
Finally, Christmas Eve dinner represents a quintessential family reunion, a must-do occasion for sharing food, affection and hopes for the coming year. We too can create a similar tradition, gathering friends and family around a laid table to reflect together on past milestones and future dreams.
Traditional Chinese New Year dishes to try
During Chinese New Year, the table is filled with traditional dishes that symbolize good luck and prosperity. Here are some of the most significant dishes:
- Fish: In Chinese, “yú” sounds similar to “abundance.” Serving whole fish represents a desire for prosperity in the coming year.
- Dumplings (jiǎozi): these delicious rolls symbolize riches and good fortune, as their shape resembles ancient Chinese coins.
- Long noodles (cháng miàntiáo): a symbol of longevity, eating noodles without breaking them is a wish for a long and happy life.
- Glutinous rice cakes (niangao): these cakes symbolize growth and progress, wishing for a successful year.
Milan’s Chinese New Year 2025 promises to be an unforgettable event, full of colors, sounds and traditions. Take advantage of it to immerse yourself in this fascinating culture, hang out in Chinatown if you have never done so, enter the city’s best Chinese restaurants and be open to new customs as well.
Don’t forget to mark the dates on your calendar and prepare to celebrate the Year of the Wooden Serpent with enthusiasm and joy!