Gallop Into Lunar New Year With Red Envelopes of Good Fortune

Lunar New Year is here and in 2026, the celebration rides in with the Year of the Horse, bringing a whole lot of good fortune with it. The holiday begins on Tuesday, February 17, and the festivities will culminate in the Lantern Festival on March 3. Celebrated around the world, Lunar New Year is all about fresh starts. Homes are cleaned to sweep away bad luck, families gather around elaborate meals, and cities light up with red, symbolizing prosperity, joy, and protection. According to legend, the color red and loud celebrations were used to scare away Nian, a mythical beast believed to bring misfortune, making way for a lucky new year ahead.

This Year of the Horse brings an adventurous energy, perfect for gathering, feasting, and leaning into the joy of the season. The team at TheListAreYouOnIt.com has been busy corralling every festive meals and cultural celebrations. Scroll on for our growing list of festivities, and don't miss all the events happening, here.

Calico: Just across the alley from its Cantonese sister restaurant Tiger Fork, Calico is celebrating Lunar New Year with a lucky cat-inspired “Fortune Kitty” residency from February 17-March 1. Calico will transform into a vibrant, late-night Hong Kong alleyway, with mahjong, late night DJs, teapot cocktails, dim sum-inspired snacks, themed game nights, vintage kung fu movies and more. The space will come to life with lantern-lit corners, a Lucky Cat (Maneki-neko) feature wall, vintage kung fu flicks on the TVs, open play mahjong sets, and a high-energy soundtrack that jumps from disco to Wu-Tang to K-Pop. Fortune Kitty has a lineup of exciting events throughout the celebration, including:
February 20: LNY DJ Night (9:30pm-1am)
February 21: Lunar New Year Celebration with Tiger Fork
Lion Dance Performances (1:15pm and 7:30pm)
Calligraphy On-Site (1-5pm)
February 22: Mahjong with SoBamFun (4-6pm, $45-$80)
February 24: Lunar New Year Bingo (7-9pm, free to play, walk-ins)

Fortune Kitty will offer a menu of Hong Kong–Inspired cocktails playing on Chinatown late-night energy, such as the Protect Ya Neck (adult juice box filled with vodka, lychee, sake vermouth, lime), and Jade Tiger (Midori, plum wine, yuzu). They’ll also offer a teapot cocktail-for-two with scotch, ginger liqueur, and galangal honey. There will be a “Lucky Hour” happy hour from 5-6:30pm every Tuesday-Friday, with $10 juice boxes, $11 carafes of hot sake and $9 orders of vegetable potstickers. Further encouraging an “alley crawl” between both sister bars, Tiger Fork will be giving away traditional red envelopes (Lai See) to all restaurant diners from February 17-28, which will include gold coin discounts redeemable at Fortune Kitty. calicodc.com 

Chiko: Chiko is ringing in the Lunar New Year with a weeklong celebration of flavor and abundance from February 17 through February 24 at all locations. The festivities include rotating à la carte specials, ticketed experiences, and a dim sum–inspired tasting menu designed for sharing and savoring with friends and family. From February 17–19, enjoy Lucky Dumplings filled with pork and shrimp and served with soy horseradish dip. From February 20–22, warm up with Duk Gukk, featuring sliced rice cakes and egg ribbons. From February 23–25, the menu turns to Black Bean Clam Noodles, followed by Firecracker Shrimp Spring Rolls with CHĪKO fun sauce from February 26–29.
In addition to the rotating specials, Chiko Capitol Hill is hosting a Lunar New Year Kitchen Counter experience running now through March 20. This dim sum–style tasting menu highlights seasonal ingredients, bold flavors, and classic techniques with a signature CHĪKO twist, offering a more intimate, guided way to celebrate the Lunar New Year. For more details visit mychiko.com 

China Chilcano: From February 17 through February 22, China Chilcano celebrates Lunar New Year with a limited-time menu honoring prosperity, fortune, and fresh beginnings through the lens of Chinese-Peruvian tradition. Special dishes, each symbolizing good fortune for the year ahead, include: Dorado Siu Mai – Wealth - Traditional Siu Mai with quail eggs, gold flakes, and black vinegar chicha de jora dipping sauce;  Whole Steamed Fish – Surplus and Fortune -  Steamed whole fish with ginger, scallion, sweetened soy, salted mustard greens, and garlic rice; Szechuan Chili Wontons – Wealth and Treasure - Shrimp and pork dumplings with Szechuan chili oil and fermented black beans; Nian Gao – Career and Salary - Shanghai rice cake stir fry with bok choy, mushrooms, peanuts, and tobanjan; Duck Spring Roll – Wealth and a Fresh Start -  Duck confit with napa cabbage, shiitake mushrooms, and tamarind hoisin. chinachilcano.com 

Moon Rabbit: Pastry Chef Susan Bae's (World's 50 Best North America Best Pastry Chef and James Beard Foundation '23 & '24 Finalist) New Year “Grape” quả nho dessert offers a look into Vietnamese tradition, Taoist philosophy, as well as her personal memories. In a five-fruit tray prepared for the Vietnamese traditionTết, grapes represent the Water element, linked to Âm (Yin); symbolizing renewal and harmony. These ideas shape the culture of her all-female pastry team; as much as they do on the plate. Made with Vietnamese yogurt mousse, black sesame sponge, and grape sorbet the ingredients come together with verjus-compressed fruit and sesame caramel. 927 F Street NW; moonrabbitdc.com 

NUE: Elegantly Vietnamese: Beginning on February 16th and concluding on the 28th, NUE will offer a special menu featuring festive Vietnamese dishes served during the Lunar New Year holiday, as well as their Honey Lacquered Duck. NUE has also introduced three Year of the Fire Horse-inspired cocktails, called the Fire Horse, Water Horse, and Earth Horse. During the celebration, guests may also buy-in to play Bầu Cua Cá Cọp, an animal dice game played during Lunar New Year in Vietnam, for a chance to win grand prizes (including an all-expenses paid trip to Vietnam). More information on cocktails, menu specials, and other Lunar New Year celebrations can be found here. 

Tiger Fork: Hong Kong-inspired Tiger Fork in Blagden Alley is once again celebrating Lunar New Year (2026 is the year of the Horse), from February 17-28. Tiger Fork will serve a special a la carte menu of symbolic Cantonese dishes for dine-in, each representing a specific virtue to bring good luck for the coming year. Also on the celebratory agenda: traditional Lion Dance performances on February 21 to bring prosperity and good fortune in 2026. In addition to most of Tiger Fork’s regular menu offerings, Executive Chef Simon Lam has created several dish specials, each designed to bring good luck in the New Year (traditional examples include dumplings symbolizing wealth, noodles for long life, and fish bringing surplus). These dishes ($15-$75) will be available a la carte during daily dinner service until February 28, plus during lunch on Saturdays and Sundays. Throughout the celebration, dine-in guests will receive a traditional red envelope with their checks. During Lunar New Year, bright red envelopes are traditionally gifted to friends and family. Guests can fill them with money, gifted to symbolize good wishes and luck for the new year ahead. 922 N Street NW; tigerforkdc.com 

Montgomery Mall: Westfield Montgomery is proud to partner again with the Chinese Culture and Community Center (CCACC) to welcome the Year of the Horse. The Lunar New Year celebration kicks off on Sunday, February 15th with traditional performances and cultural activations stations throughout the center and remarks from community leaders from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. The Lantern Festival celebration will close out Lunar New Year festivities with another day of performances and activations on Saturday, February 28th from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Celebratory events throughout this time include Spring Roll Making Workshop with Kapow Buddy on Sunday, February 22; Kids Clay Workshop with Nan Xiang on February 24–26; Cardio Barre: Sweat & Shop with Fabletics on February 28; LEGO® Lunar New Year Gifts, and a Community Drive & Thank‑You Offer - donate gently used clothing at Westfield Montgomery’s drop‑off to benefit Interfaith Works, which serves 35,000 Montgomery County residents annually with clothing, household items, food, emergency shelter, supportive housing, and employment services. Donors will receive a red envelope with exclusive offers from participating retailers. Additionally, spend $50 in‑center on February 21–22 and receive a personalized Lunar New Year greeting card hand‑crafted by a calligraphy specialist. Pick up at Level 2, outside Apple. To learn more, click here.  

Mecha Noodle Bar: On February 17, the first 100 guests at Mecha in Union Market will receive an $11 gift card tucked inside a traditional red li xi envelope. The restaurant will be decorated for the holiday, and from February 17 through March 3, they're running three special menu items, including Spicy Chicken Tan Tan: a cult favorite that people ask about all year long; Yuzu-Lime Panna Cotta: vanilla panna cotta with yuzu-lime curd, graham cracker crumble, and torched marshmallow, and Liquid Gold Daiquiri: tropical tastes with Planteray rum blend, Midori, Rockey's Botanical, lime, and rich demerara. The Fire Horse year is all about bold energy, momentum, and adventure. mechanoodlebar.com