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. In communities that celebrate Chinese New Year for 15 days, the fourth day marks the beginning of corporate "spring dinners" and the return to normal business operations. In other regions with a longer Chinese New Year holiday, celebrations include welcoming back the gods who were previously sent off on this day. Chinese New Year, alternatively referred to as the Spring Festival, is also commonly called the Lunar New Year – an inclusive name reflecting that many countries, not just China, recognize the Lunar New Year is the beginning of a new year based on lunar calendars or, informally but more widely, lunisolar calendars.Typically, both types of calendar begin with a new moon but, whilst a lunar calendar year has a fixed number (usually twelve) lunar months, lunisolar calendars have a variable number of lunar months, resetting the count periodically to resynchronise with the solar year. Name that holiday. The holiday is not (Related: Learn about other top New Year's celebrations around the world.) 3:45. Read the Chinese Zodiac signs. This year is the Year of the Snake. There In contexts outside of China, referring to Lunar New Year as "Chinese New Year" and vice versa can come off as insensitive and offensive because it ignores other cultures, all of which have their own unique traditions, beliefs, and celebrations. 2. How each Asian country celebrates and names their New Year festival is different. Lunar New Year, festival typically celebrated in China and other Asian countries that begins with the first new moon of the lunar calendar and ends on the first full moon of the lunar calendar, 15 days later. The dates of the holiday vary from year to year, beginning some time between January 21 and February 20. Lunar New Year may be called different names in different East Asian countries and communities, but it is celebrated on the same date (and surrounding days) with similar celebrations. China. In China, Lunar New Year is known as Chinese New Year or in Chinese 'Spring Festival' (Chunjie). The celebrations traditionally last for 16 days, beginning Chinese New Year starts a new animal’s zodiac year. In China, each lunar cycle has 60 years and 12 years is regarded as a small cycle. Each of the 12 years is defined by an animal sign: Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Sheep, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, and Pig. 2025 is the Year of the Snake and 2026 is the Year of the Horse. The Lunar New Year 2025, also known as Chinese New Year or the Spring Festival, starts on January 29, aligning with the first New Moon of the lunisolar calendar. This widely celebrated event welcomes the Year of the Snake, the sixth sign in the Chinese zodiac, symbolizing wisdom, transformation, and intuition. Chinese zodiac: Year of the Snake 2025 Chinese New Year is a time of year when celebrants all around the world—mostly from China, Japan, Korea, Mongolia, and Vietnam—take time to welcome the new year in accordance with the moon. This time is all about ushering gracefully the abundance that the new year can hold, whether that’s agriculturally or other types of nourishment well On the 28th, 29th or 30th day of the new year, every household "posts the New Year's Red" (the New Year's Red is the collective name for the red festive elements pasted during the New Year, such as Spring Festival couplets, door gods, horizontal batches, New Year pictures, and the word "Fu"). Some believe that this sweeps away bad luck and makes room for incoming blessings. However, sweeping or cleaning on New Year’s Day is avoided, as it could sweep away good fortune. Special Foods and Festive Customs of Chinese New Year. Food is an essential part of Chinese New Year celebrations, with each dish carrying symbolic meanings. The literal translation of this specific type of painting is “[new] year drawing.” They are also known as “New Year prints.” This is a craft with a history of at least one thousand years. In line with all New Year decorations, these paintings are used by the people to express their wishes for the future year. The lunisolar Chinese calendar determines the date of Lunar New Year. The calendar is also used in countries that have been influenced by, or have relations with, China – such as Korea, Japan, and Vietnam, though occasionally the date celebrated may differ by one day or even one moon cycle due to using a meridian based on a different capital city in a different time zone or different Because the dates of Chinese New Year change every year, individuals born in January or February will need to pay special attention to their birth date in addition to their birth year. Chinese Zodiac Calculator. If you don’t know your Chinese zodiac use our calculator below to quickly find your animal sign by entering your birthday, and be chinese new year january 2025 animal what are some other names for the chinese new year. The Chinese zodiac, known as Sheng Xiao or Shu Xiang, features 12 animal signs in this order: Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Sheep, Monkey, Rooster, Dog and Pig. 2025 is the Year of the Snake according to Chinese zodiac, starting from the 2025 Chinese New Year on Jan. 29th and lasting to However, in the folk traditional sense, Chinese New Year starts from the Kitchen God Worshiping on the 23rd of the 12th lunar month (or even the Laba Festival), until the 19th of the first lunar month. Origins of Chinese New Year Naming Origin. The name “Spring Festival” literally means a festival celebrating the arrival of spring. Similarly we can't wish "Happy Chinese New Year" to Koreans, Vietnamese, and any other non-Chinese ethnic groups celebrating New Year on January 22, 2023. "Lunar New Year" is incorrect because traditional Chinese calendar is not lunar, it is lunisolar where sun's position is factored too. Chinese New Year and Lunar New Year are often used interchangeably, but they have distinct differences. Chinese New Year specifically refers to the celebration in China and among Chinese communities worldwide, while Lunar New Year is a broader term that includes various cultures and countries that follow the lunar calendar.
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