Auspicious Greetings for Chinese New Year [2026 Edition]

If you haven’t had your fill of social events over December, Chinese New Year presents the perfect time to catch up with friends and families.

Wherever you go, one thing you cannot escape from is to spread the festive cheer with auspicious greetings. It’s ingrained into the Chinese New Year culture, partly out of courtesy (even to coworkers you’ve never laid eyes on before), but more so to impart good blessings to your loved ones. And what better way to do that than to pay them a visit (拜年) during the public holidays?

Chinese New Year festivities are fun but also frazzling, especially if you’re unprepared for the cacophony of noises and the flurry of events permeating homes and streets. But fear not; I’ve rounded up a list of fail-safe greetings that will keep you well-prepared for all the prospective red packets you run into. From creative sayings for the Year of the Snake to wishes of wealth and health for elders and more lighthearted greetings for friends–it’s time to wow your friends and family.

Tip: In Chinese culture, auspicious things come in even numbers (成雙成對), so go for a double whammy with two greetings–they sound more poetic anyway. Certain characters will also keep popping up in different greetings with highly similar meanings; after all, there are only as many auspicious words. If in doubt, pick ones from different categories to cover all your bases.

Greetings for 2026, the Year of the Horse

Horses are seen as energetic and independent, with a love of adventure. They are spirited and often the life of the party, which is why they are associated with vitality and entrepreneurial spirit.

• 馬年賀喜: Greetings for the Year of the Horse

• 馬年大吉: May you have good fortune in the Year of the Horse

• 馬年行運: May you have good luck in the Year of the Horse

• 馬年進寶: May you attract prosperity in the Year of the Horse

• 瑞馬迎春: May the auspicious horse welcome a springtime of joy

• 龍馬精神: May you be full of vigour and vitality (the spirits of dragons and horses)

• 馬到功成: May you have swift success in your endeavours

• 一馬當先: May you achieve a leading position in your career or studies

• 馬運亨通: May you have great fortune and wealth

• 駿業宏開: May you have a thriving and prosperous business

• 萬馬奔騰: May your career thrive magnificently like ten thousand horses galloping

Other General Greetings

• 新年快樂: May your new year be joyful

• 恭喜發財: May you have prosperity and good fortune

• 新年大吉: May you have luck for the new year

• 大吉大利: May you have good luck with much profit

• 吉星高照: May the lucky star shine upon you

• 喜氣洋洋: May you be radiant with joy

• 迎春納福: May you welcome happiness this spring

Greetings for Wealth

• 財源廣進: May wealth and prosperity flow in abundantly

• 招財進寶: May you attract wealth and prosperity

• 花開富貴: May you enjoy prosperity and wealth

• 金玉滿堂: May your home be filled with gold and jade

• 富貴有餘: May you be wealthy with abundance to spare

• 年年有餘: May you have surplus and abundance year after year

Greetings for Health

• 身體健康: May you have good health

• 闔家平安: May your entire family be safe and well

• 歲歲平安: May you have peace year after year

• 出入平安: May you have safe travels

• 青春常駐: May you always stay youthful

• 快高長大: May you grow tall and mighty soon

• 福如東海: May your blessings be as vast as the East Sea

• 壽比南山: May you live as long as the Southern Mountain

• 長命百歲: May you live a long life of a hundred years

Greetings for Happiness

• 萬事如意: May all go well for you

• 好事連連: May good things come to you continuously

• 心想事成: May all your wishes come true

• 笑口常開: May you always have a smile on your face

• 五福臨門: May the five blessings (longevity, wealth, health, virtue, and a natural death) come to you

Greetings for Ambition

• 一帆風順: May all your endeavours be smooth sailing

• 前程似錦: May your future be as bright as brocade

• 步步高陞: May you keep rising in your career

• 平步青雲: May you rise to success smoothly

• 飛黃騰達: May you advance rapidly in your career

• 如魚得水: May you find yourself in a favourable environment (like fish in water)

• 鯉躍龍門: May you rise to great heights

• 學業進步: May you progress in your academic pursuits

• 青出於藍: May you excel and surpass your teachers

• 生意興隆: May your business thrive and prosper

• 客似雲來: May clients constantly stream in like clouds

• 大展鴻圖: May your grand plans ride on the crest of success

• 一本萬利: May you have high returns on your investments

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