Chinese New Year's Eve and the first 3 days of Chinese New Year; will be made up on subsequent working days if any of the 4 days fall on Saturday or Sunday. The day before Chinese New Year's Eve is also designated as holiday, but as a bridge holiday, and will be made up on an earlier or later Saturday. When does Chinese New Year start? Chinese New Year in 2025 starts on Wednesday, Jan. 29. When does Chinese New Year end? Chinese New Year in 2025 lasts until the Lantern Festival on Feb. 12. The holiday is sometimes called the Lunar New Year because the dates of celebration follow the phases of the moon. Since the mid-1990s people in China have been given seven consecutive days off work during the Chinese New Year. The Chinese New Year of 2025 falls on January 29th (Wednesday), and will last to February 2nd. It is the Year of Snake. As an official public holiday, Chinese people can get eight days' off from work, from January 28th to February 4th. The Chinese New Year of 2026 falls on February 17th (Tuesday), and will last to February 21th. It is the Year Tourists wait to board a train at Shanghai Hongqiao Railway Station to return home for Chinese Lunar New Year holiday in Shanghai on Jan 25, 2025. Photo by CFOTO/ Future Publishing via Getty Images. This year, Lunar New Year begins Jan. 29. Because the lunar calendar is based on the phases of the moon, the beginning of the year happens on a different day each year. To this day, the Lunar New Year celebration is centered around removing bad luck and welcoming all that is good and prosperous. Red is considered an auspicious color to ring in the new year. In many Asian cultures, the color symbolizes good fortune and joy. Chinese New Year is the festival that celebrates the beginning of a new year on the traditional Chinese lunisolar calendar. Chinese New Year 2025 will fall on Wednesday, January 29th. The date changes every year but is always somewhere in the period from January 21st to February 20th. Just like New Year according to the Gregorian calendar (January 1), Lunar New Year celebrations start on the night before the first day of the new year. ( Note: China follows the Gregorian calendar for daily business but still follows the Chinese calendar for important festivals, auspicious dates for events such as weddings, and the Moon phases.) Chinese New Year Date Was Fixed: In the Han Dynasty The date of the festival, the first day of the first month in the Chinese lunar calendar, was fixed in the Han Dynasty (202 BC – 220 AD). Certain celebration activities became popular, such as burning bamboo to make a loud cracking sound. When does Chinese New Year start? Chinese New Year in 2025 starts on Wednesday, Jan. 29. When does Chinese New Year end? Chinese New Year in 2025 lasts until the Lantern Festival on Feb. 12. What are the birth years for the year of the Snake? Your Chinese zodiac sign is a snake if you were born during the following years: 1941, 1953, 1965, 1977, 1989, 2001, 2013 and 2025. The Lunar New Year kicks off on Jan. 29, 2025. Here's what to know about the year of the Wood Snake, from the personality traits to the various Snake elements, according to Chinese metaphysics Unlike the Gregorian calendar New Year, Chinese New Year follows the lunar calendar, meaning it falls on a different date each year, usually between January 21 and February 20. The holiday ushers in a new year based on the Chinese zodiac, with each year represented by an animal from the 12-year zodiac cycle. An annual celebration event is taking place today to mark a fresh start for many. The Chinese New Year is now upon us, with celebrations and festivities expected to take place all over the world Chinese New Year is thought to date back to the Shang Dynasty in the 14th century B.C. Under Emperor Wu of Han (140–87 B.C.), the tradition of carrying out rituals on the first day of the Dog is the 11th animal in the 12-year cycle of the Chinese zodiac signs, coming after the Rooster and before the Pig. Recent years of the Dog include 2018, 2006, 1994, 1982, 1970, 1958, and 1946, with the next Dog year in 2030 (Year of the Metal Dog). It is associated with the earthly branch sign xu. Dog is the 11th animal in the Chinese zodiac. The Chinese New Year (Spring Festival) usually falls during 21 January and February 20, if your birthday is during this period in Gregorian date, you may belong to the zodiac sign of the last year. In the following table, the years’ starting and ending dates are clearly shown which help you determine your animal sign correctly. Why is the Chinese New Year date different each year? Chinese New Year follows the lunar calendar, so its date varies between late January and mid-February. In 2025, it begins on January 29. What are taboo activities during Chinese New Year? Activities like sweeping, cutting hair, and using negative words are avoided during the New Year to
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