Boston Celebrates Lunar New Year with Vibrant Parade

Annual festivities mark the Year of the Horse in the city's Chinatown

Published on Mar. 2, 2026

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Bostonians gathered in the city's Chinatown neighborhood on Sunday to celebrate the Lunar New Year with a traditional procession featuring lion dancing, fireworks, and offerings for good luck and prosperity in the year ahead. This year marks the Year of the Horse in the Chinese zodiac.

Why it matters

The Lunar New Year is the most important annual holiday in China and other East Asian nations, and the celebrations have become a vibrant part of the cultural fabric in diverse cities like Boston that have thriving Asian communities.

The details

The Lunar New Year procession began at 10 a.m. in Phillips Square and wound through the streets of Chinatown, with participants engaging in lion dancing, setting off fireworks, and making offerings to usher in the new year and the Year of the Horse.

  • The Lunar New Year procession took place on Sunday, March 2, 2026.
  • This year marks the Year of the Horse in the Chinese zodiac.

The players

Chinatown

The historic neighborhood in Boston that is home to the city's vibrant Asian community and the site of the annual Lunar New Year celebrations.

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The takeaway

Boston's Lunar New Year celebrations showcase the city's diverse cultural heritage and the enduring traditions of its Asian communities, which continue to thrive and shape the local identity even as the city evolves.