Can I celebrate Lunar New Year with my friends?
It depends on what you join. Sharing a Lunar New Year dinner, wishing friends well and giving or receiving red envelopes with money are social customs that many Muslims are comfortable with. What to avoid are the worship parts, such as offerings to ancestors or deities, incense rituals and food dedicated to them. Check the food too, as pork is common.
What Lunar New Year is
Lunar New Year, known as Chinese New Year or Tet in Vietnam, is a family-centered festival celebrated by many East and Southeast Asian communities. It usually includes a big reunion dinner, cleaning the home, red decorations, lion dances, visiting relatives and giving red envelopes to children. It's partly cultural and partly spiritual, and families practice it in different ways.
Where you can join in
Islam asks us to deal kindly and fairly with peaceful non-Muslim friends and neighbors (Quran 60:8). Many Muslims are happy to:
- Join the reunion dinner if the food is halal-friendly.
- Give or receive red envelopes. The Prophet ﷺ told Muslim women never to look down on a gift from a neighbor, even a small one (Sahih al-Bukhari 2566), so accepting a friend's gift graciously is good manners. A gift of money to a child is also a custom you may know from Eid. See Can I give Eid money to non-Muslim children?
- Watch a lion dance or parade as a cultural show.
- Say a kind wish, such as "I hope the year brings you health and happiness."
Scholars differ on greetings tied to a festival. Some are comfortable with a kind general wish, and others prefer to avoid festival wording. Choose what you trust.
What to politely skip
Some Lunar New Year practices are acts of worship for those who follow them. Muslims worship Allah alone, so avoid taking part in these:
- Offerings or bowing at an ancestral altar or to deity statues.
- Burning incense or paper offerings as part of a ritual.
- Eating food that has been offered to ancestors or deities. The Quran forbids what is slaughtered for other than Allah (Quran 2:173).
You can decline politely: "Thank you for including me. I'll just watch." Most hosts understand. See Can Muslims visit a Hindu or Buddhist temple?
Food and drinks
- Pork is common in dumplings, stir-fries, spring rolls and festive dishes. Ask what's in each one.
- Fish, vegetables, noodles, rice and fruit are usually safe choices. See Is Chinese takeaway food halal?
- Alcohol: toasts with rice wine or beer are common. Raise tea or juice instead.
- Joining a dinner and receiving red envelopes can be a kind social gesture.
- Don't take part in offerings, incense or food dedicated to deities (Quran 2:173).
- Worship is for Allah alone (Quran 1:5).
- Ask about pork and alcohol, and use tea or juice for toasts.
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