Short answer
Muslims should not take part in the religious and superstitious side of Lunar New Year, such as offerings to ancestors or deities, temple prayers, or rituals for luck. Visiting relatives, sharing halal food and accepting red envelope gifts are a matter of family ties and courtesy, which many scholars allow. Scholars differ on greetings and on how far the cultural celebration can go.
Joining the rites of Lunar New Year, such as offerings to ancestors or gods, incense at temples, lucky charms and fortune telling, is haram, and some of it is shirk. Keeping ties with non-Muslim family on the day, eating halal food together and accepting gifts is permissible. Treating the day as one's own festival should be avoided.
The four schools agree on this.
Explanation
Lunar New Year is the biggest holiday in Chinese, Vietnamese (Tet) and Korean (Seollal) communities. It mixes family customs, such as the reunion dinner, cleaning the house and red envelopes of money, with religious and folk practices: offerings at ancestral altars, prayers to household gods, temple visits, firecrackers to drive away evil spirits, and zodiac predictions.
For a Muslim the line runs between these two parts:
- Not allowed: bowing or offering food and incense to ancestors or deities, temple prayers, lucky charms, and consulting fortune tellers or zodiac readings. The Prophet ﷺ said whoever goes to a fortune teller and asks about something, his prayer is not accepted for forty nights.
- Generally allowed: visiting parents and relatives, eating a halal reunion meal with them, and accepting red envelopes or gifts from family.
- Greetings: many scholars in Malaysia and Singapore regard wishes such as Gong Xi Fa Cai, which wish someone prosperity, as ordinary courtesy. The cautious Hanafi view avoids festival greetings and prefers a general kind word.
Converts from Chinese, Vietnamese or Korean families face this every year. Islam asks you to keep family ties warm: the Quran tells a believer to accompany even parents who reject Islam "in this world with appropriate kindness", while not following them in worship. Explain gently which parts you will join and which you will skip. See treating non-Muslim parents.
The evidence
Quran, Surah Luqman 31:15
وَإِن جَٰهَدَاكَ عَلَىٰٓ أَن تُشْرِكَ بِى مَا لَيْسَ لَكَ بِهِۦ عِلْمٌۭ فَلَا تُطِعْهُمَا ۖ وَصَاحِبْهُمَا فِى ٱلدُّنْيَا مَعْرُوفًۭا ۖ وَٱتَّبِعْ سَبِيلَ مَنْ أَنَابَ إِلَىَّ ۚ ثُمَّ إِلَىَّ مَرْجِعُكُمْ فَأُنَبِّئُكُم بِمَا كُنتُمْ تَعْمَلُونَ ﴿١٥﴾
But if they endeavor to make you associate with Me that of which you have no knowledge, do not obey them but accompany them in [this] world with appropriate kindness and follow the way of those who turn back to Me [in repentance]. Then to Me will be your return, and I will inform you about what you used to do.
Kindness to non-Muslim family continues, without joining their worship.
Quran, Surah Al-Furqaan 25:72
وَٱلَّذِينَ لَا يَشْهَدُونَ ٱلزُّورَ وَإِذَا مَرُّوا۟ بِٱللَّغْوِ مَرُّوا۟ كِرَامًۭا ﴿٧٢﴾
And [they are] those who do not testify to falsehood, and when they pass near ill speech, they pass by with dignity.
Muslims do not attend the religious rites of other faiths.
Sahih Muslim 2230
Sahih... من أتى عرافا فسأله عن شيء لم تقبل له صلاة أربعين ليلة ...
"Whoever goes to a fortune teller and asks him about something, his prayer will not be accepted for forty nights."
Zodiac readings and fortune telling for the new year are forbidden.
Where the ruling is recorded
- al-Fatawa al-Hindiyya, Kitab al-Siyar, the chapter on the rulings of apostates, words of kufr about the festivals of non-Muslims. Joining or honouring the festivals of non-Muslims is a grave matter.
Checked by our team. For a more accurate answer to your own situation, consult a scholar. Quran translation by Sahih International. Hadith Arabic from the standard editions of the six books and the Muwatta, with gradings as recorded there; the English is our own rendering. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.