The world's biggest celebration
Lunar New Year — also called Spring Festival — is celebrated by billions, and this word search gathers its traditions. You'll track down the showstoppers — the DRAGON and LION DANCE winding through the PARADE, the FIREWORKS overhead, and the glowing LANTERN displays.
Each puzzle pulls a fresh selection from the list, so the festival changes every time you play — gentle on Easy, and a Hard-mode challenge once the diagonals and backwards words appear.
Luck, family and the zodiac
The festival is full of meaning, and the traditions are here. Families share a REUNION BANQUET of DUMPLINGS, give children a lucky red ENVELOPE, offer a MANDARIN or TANGERINE for FORTUNE, exchange a friendly GREETING, and wish each other PROSPERITY as the SPRING begins. It all adds up to a LUCKY start to the year.
Years of the zodiac
Lunar New Year follows the moon rather than the fixed Western calendar, which is why it lands on a different day each year — usually in late January or February. Each year is linked to one of twelve ZODIAC animals, including the OX, TIGER, RABBIT, ROOSTER and DRAGON, and the cycle repeats every twelve years, so the animal of your birth year is thought to say something about you.
The colour red is everywhere because it's believed to bring luck and scare off bad fortune — one old tale tells of a monster called Nian frightened away by red and loud noise, which is why FIREWORKS matter so much. The festival also sparks the largest yearly movement of people on Earth, as families travel huge distances to be together. It's celebrated not just in China but in Vietnam, Korea and communities worldwide.
Great for a world-cultures topic
It pairs perfectly with a 'celebrations around the world' lesson — Easy mode keeps the grid small with no diagonals or reverse words. Play online, print a PDF pack, or use our Make Your Own tool to build a grid from your own Lunar New Year words.
Frequently asked questions
What's in the Lunar New Year word search?
The Spring Festival — the dragon and lion dance, fireworks and lanterns, plus the zodiac animals, red envelopes, dumplings and wishes for prosperity. Each puzzle uses a fresh mix.
Does it include the zodiac animals?
It does — the OX, TIGER, RABBIT, ROOSTER and DRAGON among them, alongside the LION DANCE, red ENVELOPES, DUMPLINGS and wishes for PROSPERITY.
Is it good for a 'celebrations around the world' topic?
Great fit — pair it with a lesson on world festivals. Easy mode keeps the grid small with no diagonals or reverse words.