How to Celebrate Chinese New Year in Atlanta

By Silei Li

Published January 24, 2024
Last Updated December 5, 2024

Chinese New Year, celebrated on Jan. 29, 2025, is one of the most important festivals in China. It marks the first day of the Chinese lunar calendar, and in 2025 ushers in the Year of the Snake., also known as the Year of the Green Snake, according to the South China Morning Post. “While the snake may symbolize evil and treachery in some traditions, in Chinese culture it symbolizes wisdom and agility,” according to the Post.

Atlanta’s diverse culture, international shopping and dining scene create an opportunity to feel and experience the vibe and culture of Asia during Chinese New Year. Here are some fun activities and things to do during Chinese New Year.

Stone Mountain Park Plans Lunar New Year Festival

Stone Mountain Park invites you to a Lunar New Year Festival Jan. 25 and 26, 2025; Feb. 1 and 2, 2025; and Feb. 8 and 9, 2025. The festival features a Lunar New Year drone and light show, a new lighted parade, cultural craft activities, live entertainment and other cultural elements.

From 4:15 until 7:30 p.m. on each festival day there will be live performances, cultural arts, games and craft activities and a “roaming streetmosphere.” From 6 until 9 p.m., there will be a Club K-Pop inside the Skyhike Complex. From 8 until 8:30 p.m., there will be live entertainment on the Memorial Lawn Stage; and at 8:30 p.m. there will be a Lunar New Year drone show, light show and fireworks finale.

Children’s Museum of Atlanta Presents a Dance Performance

The Children’s Museum of Atlanta celebrates the Lunar New Year with a Jan. 22, 2025, performance from the Atlanta Chinese Company at 11 a.m. and 3 p.m.

Shop Asian Supermarkets

From Buford Highway Farmers Market to Great Wall Supermarket in Duluth, you can always find the perfect place to shop for exotic ingredients and international flavors.

Serve Foods that Bring Good Luck

With special symbolism and meanings of wealth, happiness, longevity and reunion, foods like fish, dumplings, spring rolls, rice cakes and noodles are common for a Chinese New Year’s Eve dinner. In addition to these lucky foods, you can also find fresh East Asian ingredients and soup base for hot pot, a popular Chinese cooking method perfect for a family or friends’ reunion.

Decorations and Traditions

Red decorations and tiger-relevant elements are necessary to make your home festive. Some classic decorations are red lanterns, New Year couplets, paper cuttings of a tiger, red paper with a Chinese character of Fu “福” (fortune) and tiger crafts. Red packets (envelopes) make perfect gifts for your close family and friends. Get a full stack of red packets from the supermarkets at a low price (Insider tip: Some Asian markets even give them away for free with purchase). Before handing out the red packets to your kids, parents or friends on New Year’s Eve, put some money, known as lucky money, into the red packets as it represents wrapping a year of good fortune and blessings in the packets to your loved ones.

Try out some popular Chinese treats and snacks for the New Year including sweet rice cakes, ginger candies, peanuts, pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds.

Sweep and Decorate your Home

Get prepared for the New Year by cleaning your home and decorating it with red decorations one week ahead. Remember to sweep the floors, furniture, walls and every corner of your home as it means sweeping out the bad luck from the past year and welcoming the upcoming good luck. Similarly, display the red decorations on your doors and walls as they frighten the bad luck away and deliver best wishes.

Order Authentic Chinese Takeout

Want to enjoy an authentic, festive and flavorful Chinese meal on New Year’s Eve? You can’t go wrong on Buford Highway. Here are some Chinese restaurants organized by cuisine and cooking style along the famous Buford Highway.

• Hot pot: China Hot Pot, Good Harvest
• Chinese barbecue: Crazy Skewers, 90 Kabob, Kochi Maru
• Noodle: LanZhou Ramen
• Szechuan, spicy: J-Bistro, Yummy Spicy
• Southern Chinese food, non-spicy: Bo Bo Garden, Canton House, Dim Sum Heaven, Oriental Pearl Seafood Restaurant
• Northern Chinese food: Northern China Eatery

Listen to Chinese New Year Songs

During the Chinese New Year, you can always hear joyful and catchy songs everywhere in China. Check your favorite music source for classic and festive Chinese New Year songs to play while celebrating the New Year at home.

Stroll through Spring Colors

In southern China, flower markets usually open three days ahead of the Chinese New Year. They kick off the holiday season and bring the festive spirit with colorful displays of flowers, food stalls, zodiac animal-related crafts and souvenirs. Families or friends visit the flower markets together, purchase auspicious flowers and plants for good wishes for the upcoming New Year. 

As a flower market alternative in Atlanta, visit Atlanta Botanical Garden‘s Orchid Daze, the garden’s annual celebration of its signature plant collection, which runs from Feb. 8, 2025, through April 11, 2025. A crystalline water feature will form the focal point in the formal bed of the Orchid Display House directly behind the Reflection Pond, where visitors can linger and sit among the orchids on display inside the cedar pergola. Water cascading over a faceted mirrored water wall will provide a background of tranquil sound and shimmering light. Radiant yellow, orange and red orchids will cascade across the front of two panels flanking the water wall and in the beds below.

Don’t forget to check this list to find out other locations to see spring colors in Atlanta.

Enjoy Fireworks Safely

Nothing beats the excitement and enjoyment of watching colorful fireworks lighting up the sky. With family and friends around on New Year’s Eve, it’s a great time to enjoy beautiful fireworks together. Order some fireworks and firecrackers online or purchase at stores. Launch them safely from your backyard and make a good wish for the New Year.

For further adventure, Explore Excellent Asian Experiences at These Atlanta Restaurants.