Lunar New Year, also called the Spring Festival or Chinese New Year, is a season of renewal and good fortune. It's also an opportunity for workplaces to celebrate cultural diversity, strengthen team bonds, and share in some delicious traditions.
While Lunar New Year is deeply rooted in East Asian history, its themes of togetherness, luck, and prosperity can resonate far beyond, making it a welcome addition to your cultural calendar.
From exchanging red envelopes to catering a spread of traditional Lunar New Year food, here's how to bring the holiday's spirit to work in a way that's equal parts meaningful and tasty.
What is Lunar New Year?
Lunar New Year is a 16-day spring festival that marks the first new moon of the lunar calendar, typically falling between late January and mid-February. Each year is represented by one of the 12 zodiac animals — and 2026, beginning on February 17, welcomes the Year of the Horse.
The celebration's origins trace back to the legend of Nian, a mythical beast said to fear loud noises, bright lights, and the color red. That's why red lanterns, firecrackers, and vibrant decor remain at the heart of Lunar New Year festivities today.
Common traditions include:
Family reunions: Loved ones gather for a festive New Year’s Eve meal to celebrate safety, renewal, and hope for the year ahead.
Fireworks & parades: Cities and communities host parades, lion or dragon dances, and firework shows.
Red envelopes: Elders give hongbao (red envelopes) filled with money or notes of good luck to children and younger relatives.
Decorations: Homes, offices, and public spaces are decked out with red lanterns, paper cuttings, and couplets.
Traditional Lunar New Year foods and their significance
Food takes center stage during Lunar New Year activities. Every bite tells a story steeped in tradition, making indulging in these Chinese classics a flavorful and inclusive way to spread good vibes (and good fortune) within your team.
Savory favorites
Dumplings (Jiaozi): Bite-sized dough wrappers filled with minced meat and vegetables, steamed or pan-fried.
Spring rolls: Crispy rolls filled with shredded vegetables and sometimes meat, deep-fried until golden.
Whole fish: Steamed or braised and served with soy sauce, ginger, and scallions.
Longevity noodles: Extra-long wheat noodles stir-fried or served in broth.
Sticky rice (Lo Mai Fan): Glutinous rice mixed with sausage, mushrooms, and dried shrimp, wrapped in lotus leaves.
Sweet treats
Sticky rice cake (Nian Gao): Chewy rice cake made from glutinous rice flour, sometimes sweetened with brown sugar.
Rice balls (Tang Yuan): Soft glutinous rice balls filled with black sesame or peanut paste, served in a warm syrup.
Sesame balls (Jian Dui): Deep-fried pastries with a crispy sesame coating and sweet red bean or lotus filling.
Egg tarts: Flaky pastries with creamy egg custard centers, often served warm.
Almond cookies: Crunchy, buttery cookies made with ground almonds and often topped with a whole almond.
Festive drinks
Jasmine or green tea: Light, fragrant teas served throughout meals.
Sweet ginger tea: A comforting drink made with sliced ginger and rock sugar.
Soy milk: Lightly sweetened, often served warm with breakfast or dessert.
Citrus punch: Refreshing blend of tangerine, orange, and lemon juices.
Plum wine (Wumei Jiu): A mildly sweet alcoholic drink made from steeped plums.
How to celebrate Lunar New Year at work
Celebrating Lunar New Year at work is a chance to bring people together, celebrate diversity, and start the year with curiosity and connection. Here are some Lunar New Year celebration ideas to inspire your team.
Cater a Lunar New Year lunch
Ring in the new year with a shared meal from a local Chinese or East Asian restaurant. With DoorDash for Business, treating your team to traditional Lunar New Year food is simple — and everyone's preferences and dietary needs can be easily accommodated:
Group orders: Smaller teams can individually add meals to a shared group cart and enjoy together.
Catered office meals: Admins select the restaurant and menu for larger groups, and the order is delivered either in classic large tray formats or easy-to-distribute boxed meals.
Bonus: Hire a dragon or lion dancer to make your lunch an engaging experience that's both entertaining and educational.
Decorate the office
Transform your space with red and gold lanterns, banners, and intricate paper cuttings. You can also make it a more interactive experience by setting up a DIY craft station where employees can create their own paper lanterns or decorative chains.
Organize a red envelope exchange
Hand out hongbao-style red envelopes filled with thoughtful thank-you notes or small tokens, like a DoorDash gift card, to show appreciation for your team. To encourage camaraderie (and multiply the good fortune), invite colleagues to exchange with one another, too.
Host a Chinese zodiac activity
Invite a guest speaker or lead a short presentation on the 12 zodiac animals and what they represent. Then, have everyone look up their zodiac and share a personality trait they identify with. It's one of many engaging Lunar New Year activities that helps employees learn something new about themselves and each other.
Encourage workspace "spring cleaning"
A clean start is a key Lunar New Year tradition, symbolizing the removal of bad luck and negative energy. Encourage employees to do a mini workspace refresh, both physical and digital: wipe down desks, declutter drawers, organize files, and send those old emails to the trash. A tidy space sets the tone for fresh energy in the year ahead.
Celebrate with culture, food, and community
Beyond delicious bites, Lunar New Year is a celebration of renewal, community, and shared joy. Bringing Lunar New Year celebration ideas into your workplace can help unite teams and deepen cultural appreciation.
And with DoorDash for Business simplifying workplace meal planning, creating these meaningful moments has never been easier.
Learn more about how DoorDash for Business can transform your office meals.
