Chinese New Year marks the beginning of a new lunar cycle - a threshold between what has passed and what is ready to unfold.
On 17 February 2026, we ride the Year of the Crimson (Fire) Horse, a rare zodiac alignment that appears only once every sixty years.
On the journal, we explore the enduring role that Indian sandalwood has played across zodiac philosophy and the rituals you can bring to life to invite good fortune during Lunar New Year.
The Horse symbolises momentum, vitality, independence, courage, and forward movement.
In 2026, the Horse is paired with Yang Fire, giving rise to the Crimson Horse. Fire corresponds with red, the dominant colour of Lunar New Year, symbolising:
The Crimson Horse carries dynamic, expressive energy, and outward confidence and Chinese philosophy teaches that strong energy must be harmonised. Ritual is what steadies momentum.
For centuries, Lunar New Year rituals have centred on clearing stagnant qi, honouring lineage, and welcoming auspicious energy into the home.
In a Fire year - when intensity and ambition are heightened - these practices become grounding anchors.
In the days before New Year’s Eve, homes are thoroughly cleaned. Dust represents residue from the past year. Clearing it symbolises releasing misfortune and creating space for renewal.
Cleaning concludes before New Year’s Day, so as not to sweep away incoming fortune.
Traditionally, incense is burned once cleaning is complete to mark the energetic shift from clearing to welcoming.
Indian sandalwood, long valued for its purifying and calming properties, is particularly suited to the lunar transition because its aroma settles the mind and softens heightened emotion, especially beneficial in a Fire year.
You may choose to light our Indian Sandalwood Incense once your home has been prepared, allowing the fragrance to signal completion and new beginning.
Ancestral reverence remains central to Lunar New Year observance.
Offerings of tea, fruit, and food are placed in gratitude for those who came before. Incense is commonly lit during this time, the rising smoke symbolising connection between earthly life and ancestral spirit.
Indian sandalwood incense has been used for centuries across China and India to celebrate lunar new year because its fragrance is both grounding and elevating - a rare balance.
In a Year of the Horse - which celebrates independence and movement - the ritual of lighting incense gently reminds us that every stride forward rests on inherited strength.
Remaining awake past midnight symbolises witnessing the shift from one cycle to the next.
A single flame, placed at the doorway - the “mouth of qi,” where energy enters the home symbolises protection and vitality - aligning with the Crimson Horse’s dynamic spirit.
Lighting a candle near the entrance on New Year’s Eve creates a quiet acknowledgment of this threshold.
The steady glow of the King of Woods Indian Sandalwood Candle offers warmth without distraction - grounding Fire energy with gentle stability.
On the first morning of the New Year, doors and windows are opened to invite fresh qi into the home, often adorned with lanterns and carvings.
The Heartwood Horse ornament, hand-carved from Indian sandalwood symbolises open terrain and expansion. The ritual of hanging the horse in an open doorway is believed to reinforce alignment between space and self and evoke blessings yet to come.
To help welcome in the positive energy of the Lunar New Year, our hand-carved sandalwood statues and zodiacs are available to purchase online or in-store.
