新年快乐. Xīnnián kuàilè
Happy New Year to the Chinese people.
火马年 Huǒ mǎ nián
Year of the Fire Horse
Celebrations of Chinese New Year traditionally last for 16 days, starting from Chinese New Year's Eve to the Lantern Festival. The most notable dates of the Lunar New Year 2026 are these three days: Chinese New Year's Eve on February 16th, 2026. Chinese New Year's Day on February 17th, 2026.
The Chinese Calendar for 2026 marks the Year of the Fire Horse, beginning on February 17, 2026 (Lunar New Year) and ending February 5, 2027, symbolizing energy, optimism, and growth, with public holidays for the New Year from February 15-22, featuring auspicious dates for events, and calendars available with detailed lunar info.
This means in Geopolitics in Beijing, irate phones calls from Trump or the Peasant Bessent will have to leave a message in the hope that Xi or some other member of the Standing Committee of the Politburo will drop by the office to see if there is anything that needs his or their attention over the next 16 days, the Chinese new year holiday.
Washington will probably be calling complaining about signing contacts with Canada’s PM Mark Carney for 40% of the high-quality grain of the Canadian wheat harvest which was earmarked two weeks ago to go to bakeries on the western and midwest United States is now headed to Shanghai. They will be demanding that Beijing cancel the latest China-Canada trade deal because the U.S. people will get sticker shock over increased bread prices over the summer months, right before the midterm election which the Trump Republican party is looking to be trounced as U.S. polling suggests.
Not a lot of sympathy forthcoming from Beijing given current nonexistent trust issues with the Trump administration and and will not garner much attention while everyone is on holidays.
Now war with Iran is something else but Xi will be talking other Putin and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian before he decides to talk to Washington.
Anyway China' Spring Festival Gala is about to in start an extravaganza of this five hour marathon and the Chinese leadership attends it in person.
