While Christmas is a religious holiday with connections to Christianity, commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ, the Chinese New Year celebration has links to agrarian society when the Chinese used to pray for success during the coming farming year. Later religious practices, like Buddhism and ancestor worship, also attached themselves to the Let’s get to know more similarities and differences between Chinese New Year and Christmas from the following comparison. Origins Christmas is an important Christian holiday honoring the birth of Jesus Christ, while Chinese New Year is based on a historic story of Nian (“year” in Chinese), a mythical monster that terrorized villages and After researching both Christmas and the Chinese New Year Festival, interesting similarities between the two unique celebrations came into fruition. For instance, both contain traditional meals, presents, feasts, decorations, songs, poems, God(s), folk lore, and are family oriented occasions. Chinese New Year is a public holiday and it is the most important economic and social holiday in China. It is always in the period between January 21 and February 20. While Chinese New Year signals the start of the new lunar year, Christmas once fell on the exact date of the winter solstice, the shortest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere and a time traditionally marking the “rebirth” of the sun. Lights. Both Chinese New Year and Christmas dazzle with plenty of lights in decorations and rituals. The Chinese New Year is similar to Christmas in the West in terms of family reunion. However, there are many different customs and traditions as well. A woman does Spring Festival shopping in Qionghai, Hainan Province, China, February 1, 2019. The Chinese New Year (Spring Festival) is the major holiday celebrated in China while Christmas is the most important red-letter day in the western world. Those festivals give people a chance to Chinese New Year is celebrated a few weeks after the Christmas holiday, but these major holidays have many similarities. Christmas commemorates the birth of Jesus for many, while Spring Festival is also based on a historic story. The Chinese New Year story tells of a monster that terrorized villages, and people were told to ward off [] Between the holiday song I'll Be Home for Christmas and the Chinese saying 'moneyed or not, return home for Chinese New Year' (youqian meiqian huijia guonian), both holiday traditions embrace and Red is a beloved shade for Christmas and an auspicious one for Chinese New Year. Marking beginnings/endings. While Chinese New Year signals the start of the new lunar year, Christmas once fell on the exact date of the winter solstice, the shortest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere and arguably the end of the year’s sun cycle. Lights New Years is a day that celebrates the end of a calendar year and the start of a new one. The date on which New Years is celebrated differs for every culture and religion, as they all follow their own calendars. For example, Chinese New Year’s is celebrated some time in March; while Hindu New Year is celebrated in October, and so forth. By reading the major differences between Chinese Lunar New Year and Western New Year, you will get to know more about Chinese culture. If you are a cultural buff, it’s worthwhile to have a tour during Chinese Lunar New Year. See our sample tours for some inspiration. Explore China during Chinese Lunar New Year . 9 Days Chinese New Year Tour After living in China for 3 years as V-Trust Sales Manager and 1 year in Vietnam as V-Trust Country Manager, I am happy to share my experience and feelings, even if, for sure, I don’t know everything and they may not be exhaustive. Chinese New Year and the Vietnamese New Year (called Tết in Vietnam) actually have a lot in common. Despite some differences, many Lunar New Year celebrations around the world, whether at the same time as Chinese New Year or not, still do have many striking similarities, largely due to Chinese New Year's massive worldwide influence through the ages. 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. New Years is a day that celebrates the end of a calendar year and the start of a new one. The date on which New Years is celebrated differs for every culture and religion, as they all follow their own calendars. For example, Chinese New Year’s is celebrated some time in March; while Hindu New Year is celebrated in October, and so forth. A Time to Reunite with Family. To celebrate their New Year, Westerners usually go out to parties with friends or other large public events. In contrast, the New Year is the biggest chance for Chinese families to reunite (similar to how families get together for Christmas). The Chinese New Year is celebrated with Dances of the Lion and Dragon in street parades. Lions and dragons are acrobats wearing colorful costumes. The dances are noisy in order to drive out evil spirits and bring prosperity and luck for next year. Chinese New year traditions regarding Food Christmas vs New Year. The difference between Christmas and the new year is that Christmas is a religious festival that most Christians follow and it is observed on December 25th. The new year is the start of a new calendar year when the number of years in the calendar increases by one, which is referred to as the New Year. The Chinese New Year is celebrated with Dances of the Lion and Dragon in street parades. Lions and dragons are acrobats wearing colourful costumes. The dances are noisy in order to drive out evil spirits and bring prosperity and luck for next year. Chinese New year traditions regarding Food
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