“Chinese New Year – also known as the Spring Festival – offers families and friends an occasion to gather, share traditional meals, and exchange good wishes for the year ahead. Red lanterns and fireworks will light up the sky in communities across the country, representing good fortune and showcasing the rich cultural heritage and Chinese New Year begins Wednesday, Jan. 29, in 2025. The holiday lasts from Wednesday to Feb. 15, which is the Lantern Festival. Why does the Chinese New Year fall on different dates each 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 Additionally, the 27th Annual Chinatown Lunar New Year Parade and Festival is scheduled for Feb. 16 at 1 p.m. with festival booths on Bayard Street (between Mulberry and Mott streets) from 11:30 a Lunar New Year — which includes Chinese New Year, Seollal in Korea, Tet in Vietnam and more — begins on Jan. 29, kicking off more than two weeks of parties, customs and copious feasts. Chinese New Year in 2025 falls on January 29 and ends with the Lantern Festival on Feb. 12. Celebrations last up to 16 days; the Chinese public holiday lasts from Wednesday to Feb. 4. 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. Chinese New Year or Lunar New Year or Spring Festival 2025 falls on Wednesday, January 29th, 2025. Snake is the new year animal. Learn more about Chinese Lunar New Year traditions, taboos, food, zodiac signs, and greetings. Pre-Chinese New Year Preparations and Activities (Jan. 7–Feb. 12, 2025) Jan. 7, 2025: Laba Festival. Some Chinese start to celebrate and prepare for Chinese New Year as early as day 8 of the 12 th month of the lunar calendar. This is a festival called Laba ( 腊八 Làbā /laa-baa/ '12th lunar month' + '8'), in the traditional sense, which The Chinese Lunar New Year, starting Jan. 29, 2025, marks the Year of the Wood Snake. It’s celebrated for 15 days, ending on Feb. 12, or Lantern Festival. Since the mid-1990s people in China have been given seven consecutive days off work during the Chinese New Year. This week of relaxation has been designated Spring Festival, a term that is sometimes used to refer to the Chinese New Year in general. The origins of the Chinese New Year are steeped in legend. One legend is that thousands of years Chinese New Year marks the transition between zodiac signs: 2025 is the Year of the Snake; 2024 the Year of the Dragon. Advertisement. 2025 Guide. Each Chinese lunar year has a Chinese zodiac sign animal. The Chinese zodiac year's stsarting date is a little different from the Gregorian year. It starts from Chinese New Year. The Chinese zodiac years chart below is provided to help you find out the exact starting and ending dates of the Chinese zodiac years. (This is especially useful for The Chinese New Year is an important time to 拜年 (bàinián, to pay a new year call), so it is common practice to visit relatives and exchange auspicious greetings and Chinese gifts, including the ever-popular lucky red envelopes filled with Chinese currency. Devoted Buddhist and Daoist practitioners also often visit local temples to welcome 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. Chinese New Year begins Wednesday, Jan. 29, in 2025. The holiday lasts from Wednesday to Feb. 15, which is the Lantern Festival. Why does the Chinese New Year fall on different dates each year? Rather than following the western Gregorian Calendar with 365-day years, the Chinese New Year follows a lunar calendar based the moon's 12 phases. Each phase cycle spans approximately 29 days with 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. 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 2026 Lunar New Year's Eve on Feb. 16. 2026 is the Year of the Horse. Lunar New Year’s Eve: The Reunion Dinner. At the heart of Lunar New Year celebrations is the reunion dinner on Lunar New Year’s Eve, which falls on January 28, 2025. A traditional reunion dinner has many dishes, including steamed or fried fish, rice cakes and balls, noodles and dumplings.
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