7 Fire filled activities in preparation for the Chinese New Year – Year of the Horse

We are now firmly established into 2026…out with the old in with the new they say! 

Like most people, I am glad to have said farewell to 2025 and am excited to see what the rest of 2026 brings, ready to welcome new opportunities and adventures.   

2025 was the year of the snake, and many people will have encountered disruptions, transformations and faced potentially difficult challenges and circumstances in their own life last year. However, the Chinese New Year follows the lunisolar Chinese calendar, determined by lunar cycles which means the Snake Year is here until February, so this is still ongoing for some.  

When a snake strikes, its venom can be lethal, bringing with it all sorts of changes and transformations. Personally, I associate the symbolism of the Snake Year similarly to the Death Major Arcana tarot card, bringing endings and change. Sometimes the message can sadly be literal, as was for myself last year with several close losses, but it more widely refers to shedding old habits and outlooks, as a snake sheds its skin. This can mean letting go of beliefs, people, processes that no longer align with your best interest and for many people last year, they realised just who and what is actually important to them at this point in life.  

So basically…the snake gave us a widescale factory reset.  

BUT resetting isn’t always a bad thing, it really refers to transformation, albeit teaching us hard life lessons sometimes. It also means new beginnings, shedding what won’t continue with us as we move forwards, to make way for fresh, exciting and renewed opportunities.  

Now 2026 is here it is time to prepare for the Year of the Horse…as it gallops across the horizon, hooves battering the ground, it brings the promise of fire, energy, spirit and strength. So like a snake, you’ve shed your skin ready for new adventures the horse brings, a year of renewed energy and drive, which is very much needed following the Year of the Snake.  

As we are soon to welcome the Year of the Horse, which begins on 17th Feb we must prepare for a new burst of energy, independence and restlessness. As silly as it sounds, for the Pokémon lovers I envision the Year of the Horse as a Rapidash with its flaming mane on a wild charge, nothing holding it back.  

With that being said in the lead up to the Chinese New Year, here are 7 exciting fire-filled activities to get booked in that you don’t want to miss in the Year of the Horse! 

• Sometimes it’s fun to take a leap! You can rest assured you’ll be in safe hands on a skydiving experience!
• Thy sky is the limit with the Go Ape Treetop Adventure, you’ll be building confidence and coordination!
• Why not look at ziplining with Zip World Velocity, you’ll be zooming through the sky in speeds of up to 100mph…
• For the budding knights of the realm – get ready to charge in the Medieval Jousting Experience in Warwick
• Scream, aim fire with our Axe Throwing, Rifle Shooting and Archery Experience in Chester!
• If you don’t like the sound of taking a leap of faith from a plane but still yearn for adventure, try our Horse and Carriage Ride with afternoon tea. Surround yourself with stunning Yorkshire landscapes and dine on succulent sandwiches!
• If being on the move in any sort of way really isn’t your idea of fun, that’s ok. Believe it or not, we still have the perfect activity for you. And befitting of today’s blog theme, it involves horses! I’m not horsing around with this either. Remain zen with our Meditation with horses in the Lake district!