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It’s time to celebrate Lunar New Year and Asian culture in New York City while watching a great basketball game. That’s right, the New York Knicks will be ringing in the New Year during their game with the Detroit Pistons. This will be happening on Thursday, February 19, 2026, at 7:30 pm at Madison Square Garden. It should be a great basketball game and the New Year celebration will also be fun!
Lunar New Year, aka Chinese Lunar New Year or Spring Festival, falls on different dates each year. This year Lunar New Year is on February 17, 2026, the day of the second new moon in the lunar calendar. It is celebrated not only by people of Chinese heritage but also people who have parents or grandparents that came from Vietnam, Singapore, South Korea, Malaysia, Thailand, Japan, Philippines and Indonesia.
Instead of following the Gregorian Calendar, the Lunar New Year follows the Chinese Lunar Calendar. This is set to the new moon that occurs between the middle of January and the end of February.
The Chinese zodiac assigns each year to oe of twelve different animals. 2026 is the Year of the Fire Horse. The sign of the Horse symbolizes freedom, forward movement and energy. People born in the Year of the Fire Horse are believed to be determined and strong. 2026 is believed to be a year of exploration and bold moves.
The Knicks have partnered with local Asian American community groups and organizations to make this night really special. Before and during the game, there will be concourse performances celebrating Asian culture. There will also be in game features, activations and giveaways.
And you can get a ticket for the Knicks vs.Pistons game here.
Red is the lucky color for the Lunar New Year. If you’d like to go to the game dressed for Lunar New Year, you’ll find some great clothes here.
If you’d like to wear Knicks/Lunar New Year jersey or apparel, you can find that here.
And if you’d like to support your favorite basketball team, you can find Knicks T-shirts, jackets, jerseys, hats, socks and more here. And if you act quickly, you can get the gear on sale.