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. Half-day on Chinese New Year's Eve and the first day of Chinese New Year. [51] 1 Hong Kong: Lunar New Year: The first 3 days of Chinese New Year. [52] 3 Macau: Novo Ano Lunar: The first 3 days of Chinese New Year [53] 3 Indonesia: Tahun Baru Imlek (Sin Cia) The first day of Chinese New Year. [54] [55] 1 China: Spring Festival (Chūn Jié) The first day on Gregorian calendar, the New Year's Day, was called Yuandan, while the first day on the lunar calendar was called Chunjie (Spring Festival), which is the present widely celebrated Chinese New Year. After 1949, the Spring Festival was listed as a nationwide public holiday, and people got days off work and school. The earliest origins of Chinese New Year likely date to the Shang Dynasty (1600-1046 BC). This was a time when the Chinese civilization was transitioning from a nomadic to an agrarian lifestyle. The new year celebration began as a way to mark the end of the harsh winter season and welcome the spring, which signaled the beginning of the planting Chinese New Year, also referred to as the Lunar New Year or the Spring Festival, is one of the most important traditional Chinese festivals and began around 3,500 years ago. This festivity is tied to the Chinese lunar calendar, and it originated as a time for feasting and to honor household and heavenly deities and ancestors. Chinese New Year, also known as the Lunar New Year or Spring Festival, is the most important traditional festival. Falling on the first day of the lunar calendar, the Chinese New Year has a history of over 4000 years. new year market Chinese New Year Origin: 4000 Years Ago. Chinese New Year can be traced back to 4000 years ago. However, the maturity of the solar base calendar provided Emperor Wu (157 BC - 87 BC) of the Han Dynasty (206 BC - 220) with a consistent means to measure a period of a year. Hence, he established the first day of the first month of the traditional Chinese calendar as the beginning of the year, and Chinese New Year remains celebrated 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. The Chinese New Year is based on the lunisolar calendar, which accounts for both the phases of the moon and the solar year. Unlike the Gregorian calendar, the date of the Chinese New Year varies each year, typically falling between 21 January and 20 February. Evolution through dynasties Chinese New Year, also known as the Spring Festival and the Lunar New Year, is an annual 15-day festival celebrated in China, East and Southeast Asia and by Chinese communities around the world. Known for its bright colours, music, gift-giving, socialising and festivities, Chinese New Year is a widely-enjoyed staple event in the Chinese calendar. The date for Chinese New Year changes annually based on the lunar calendar, aligning with the first new moon of the year. For 2025, Chinese New Year will begin on January 29 , marking the start of the Year of the Dragon, one of the most revered symbols in Chinese culture, known for strength, courage, and good fortune. The story of January 1st being the official start of the year dates all the way back to ancient Rome. In 46 BCE, Julius Caesar introduced the Julian calendar, which reshaped how we track time. The legal holiday is seven days long, from the Lunar New Year's Eve to the sixth day of the first lunar month. Some companies and public institutions enjoy a longer holiday up to 10 days or more, because in common knowledge among Chinese people, the festival lasts longer, from the Lunar New Year's Eve to the 15th day of the first lunar month (Lantern Festival). Why does Chinese New Year fall on different dates? 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. Chinese New Year superstitions are traditional beliefs and practices observed during the Lunar New Year to bring good luck and ward off misfortune. These customs range from avoiding certain actions to performing specific rituals, all aimed at ensuring a prosperous year ahead. 20 Chinese New Year Superstitions 1. Avoid Cleaning on New Year’s Day Suppose the new moon rises at 8 pm, the entire day is the first day of the new month. If you track the lunar cycle, you’ll find it shifts from month to month. That means the number of days in a month will change from year to year. 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 In the lunar calendar, the Chinese New Year always falls on the first day of the first month, but its date in the solar calendar changes every year. To keep the Spring Festival's date in the solar calendar relatively stable, an extra month, called a leap month , is added to the lunar calendar every 2-3 years. Because it coincides with the Gregorian calendar, it is the same date every year. The Chinese New Year coincides with the lunar calendar. On the lunar calendar, the first day of the month begins during the new moon. Because of this, the Chinese New Year falls on different dates each year. However, it does always fall between January 21 and Chinese New Year's Eve is the day before the Chinese New Year. Celebrating Chinese New Year's Eve has always been a family matter, it is the reunion day for every ethnic Chinese family. It has evolved over a long period of time. The origin of Chinese New Year's Eve can be traced back to 3500 years ago.
Articles and news, personal stories, interviews with experts.
Photos from events, contest for the best costume, videos from master classes.