Chinese New Year is always a huge celebration in the North East, with a vibrant Chinese community welcoming everyone to join in. The Chinese lunar new year begins on 17th February marking the Year of the Horse and the 16 day celebration of the Spring Festival around the world. Join in the celebrations with the Festival’s Chinese language and culture events and activities available for 3-18 year olds.
Chinese New Year is a traditional Chinese holiday celebrated at the turn of the Chinese calendar. In China, it is also known as the Spring Festival.
The date for Chinese New Year is different every year as it is set according to the Lunar calendar. It falls on the first day of the new moon which begins in either late January or February. Celebrations last for around 15 days, ending on the day of the full moon.
Customs differ, but Chinese New Year is important for families to come together and wish each other peace and prosperity for the year ahead. The Year of the Horse symbolizes energy, independence and movement.
There are lots of events and activities that schools and groups can get involved in with a Chinese focus as part of this year’s Festival up to 31st March 2026. Visit the dedicated Festival Chinese page or scroll down and click on the links to find out more.
- Welcome to China events (3-18 yrs) 9.30-11.30am on 10th, 11th, 12th, 17th, 18th and 19th March with the Confucius Institute
- Asian Creative Journeys: Indian & Chinese cultural workshops in schools. Flexible bookings Feb-March
- Culture Box Asia: Indian and Chinese cultural activities 6 Jan-31 March – interactive pre-recorded workshops (drumming, dance, puppetry and origami)
- Chinese Documentary Film Screening (14-18yrs) 10am-2.30pm on 25th March at Newcastle University
- Multilingual digital stories -5 films made by children Available 6 Jan-31 March
Creative multilingual activities with teaching packs available to 31st March:
- Festival Song (Love is the only river) sing in Chinese with resources available (a video of children’s performances will be shared)
- Mother Tongue Other Tongue – write poetry in Chinese (an digital anthology will be created from submissions)
- Together we Fly – create origami butterflies and submit entries for a World Friendship public exhibition
- Language Calligrams – create images from Chinese words (an ebook will be created from these)
- World Recipe Book: exploring food and cultural heritage – share your Chinese recipes (a digital recipe book will be created)
Other activities available through the Festival, where Chinese can feature:
- Language student immersion in Chinese at Durham University
- Multilingual Poetry Slam (KS3-5) 9.30am-3pm on 27th March at Newcastle Civic Centre
- Ursa Lingua’s Castle Quest Escape Room Adventure Available 6 Jan-31 March (games and puzzles)
- Multilingual Me: Exploring and celebrating languages in pupils’ lives (KS2 lesson and resources) 6 Jan-31 March
- Languages and careers webinars – where Chinese and other languages can take you
- Primary school visits to the Multilingual Library in Gateshead for stories and games
UK competitions, celebrations and resources
- ENACT Around the World Club education pack for schools with Chinese cultural activities
- Celebrate Speaking! UK schools 1st-28th February 2025 take part in the virtual festival of speaking in by sharing performances in Chinese online.
- Anthea Bell Prize for Young Translators (deadline 27 Mar) including Mandarin competition and resources
- British Council languages support for schools including Mandarin Excellence Programme
- Year of the Horse Primary Education Pack for primary schools from British Council
The Confucius Institute at Newcastle University is a partnership between Newcastle University and Xiamen University of China. The Newcastle Confucius Institute has two primary aims: to promote the study of Chinese language from primary school through to university level and to promote the understanding of Chinese culture and contemporary China.
Click here to download the Confucius Institute Schools flyer, which has information about their offer to infant, primary and secondary students, offering engaging and culturally immersive experiences both during and after school. These include Chinese language classes during school hours, after school Chinese clubs, cultural workshops and courses and cultural events. There is also information about the wider offer to communities and individuals in the region.