Dancing dragons, fantastic costumes and a feast of fireworks: Spectacular pictures from Chinese New Year across the world Chinese New Year began on January 31 marking the start of the Year of the Horse Biggest holiday in Chinese calendar, with celebrations across the world all weekend

People around the world headed to the streets to celebrate the Chinese New Year, and to welcome the Year of the Horse.

Chinese New Year, which began on Friday, is the most important holiday in the country's calendar with residents getting a week-long holiday. But this year celebrations were relatively low-key in China.

Chinese festivities normally begin with extravagant fireworks displays, which are believed to bring good luck and dispel evil spirits. However, as smog has blanketed parts of central and eastern China over the last few months, officials called on residents to buy fewer fireworks in order to lessen air pollution in the country.

 Celebrations around the globe: Performers in costume take part in the Chinese New Year parade through Sydney's centre on Sunday

  Paris festivities: People in costume parade through the French capital to mark the start of the Chinese lunar calendar

 Sydney celebrations: The lunar celebrations in Sydney are the largest outside of Asia

 Global celebrations: More than 100,000 people came out to watch the New Year parade in Sydney's centre

  Lion dance: The opening ceremony of the Chinese new year celebrations in the centre of The Hague

Twilight Parade: Performers in Sydney prepare for the parade through the city's centre