新年快乐 works everywhere - but Spring Festival has a richer set, and matching the greeting to the person is the point.
The core greetings
| 新年快乐 | Happy New Year - universal |
| 恭喜发财 | "may you prosper" - the famous one |
| 万事如意 | "may everything go as you wish" |
| 身体健康 | "good health" - to elders especially |
| 年年有余 | "surplus year after year" - the fish pun (余/鱼) |
| 心想事成 | "may your wishes come true" |
Add the zodiac animal for the year: 蛇年大吉 ("great luck in the snake year") follows the 属 pattern from the zodiac guide.
The red-envelope talk
红包 (red envelope) vocabulary runs the holiday: 发红包 (give/send - WeChat made it digital), 收红包 (receive), and the children's chant 恭喜发财，红包拿来 ("congrats on prosperity, hand over the envelope") - playful between family, do not say it to your boss. At the table: 干杯 (cheers) and 吃好喝好 ("eat and drink well").
The festival words around it
春节 is the holiday's name (Chūnjié - Spring Festival); 除夕 is New Year's Eve; 团圆 means reunion - the whole festival's theme in one word; 年夜饭 is the reunion dinner; 春运 is the largest annual human migration. The folklore pill decks and the story library cover the festival tales behind the vocabulary.
Common questions
How do you say Happy Chinese New Year in Mandarin?
新年快乐 (xīnnián kuàilè) is universal. The traditional prosperity wish is 恭喜发财, and 万事如意 / 身体健康 are the warmer family variants.
What does 恭喜发财 mean?
Literally "congratulations on getting rich" - a prosperity wish, not a money demand. Except in the children's chant 恭喜发财，红包拿来, where it IS a demand for the red envelope.
When is Chinese New Year?
The first day of the lunar year - between late January and mid-February on the Gregorian calendar. 除夕 is the eve; celebrations run about two weeks to the Lantern Festival 元宵.