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 origin of the Chinese New Year Festival can be traced back to about 3,500 years ago. Chinese New Year has evolved over a long period of time and its customs have undergone a long development process. A Legend of the Origin of Chinese New Year. Like all traditional festivals in China, Chinese New Year is steeped with stories and myths. In 1912, the government decided to abolish Chinese New Year and the lunar calendar. It adopted the Gregorian calendar instead and made January 1 the official start of the New Year. After 1949, Chinese New Year was renamed the Spring Festival. It was listed as a nationwide public holiday. 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. It is not only celebrated in China. Vietnam, Korea, Malaysia, and Singapore also celebrate the Lunar New Year holiday. The two-week celebration includes family and friends, feasting and fireworks, parties and parades. For more than 3,000 years, Lunar New Year was just what it sounds like—the beginning of a new year in the Chinese calendar. Among China’s traditional holidays and celebrations, none ranks higher in importance than the Lunar New Year (農曆新年). Also known as the Spring Festival (春節), or simply Chinese New In diaspora communities, particularly in cultural enclaves, Lunar New Year is visibly and joyfully celebrated. In the Chinese zodiac, 2025 is the Year of the Snake. Different countries across Asia celebrate the new year in many ways and may follow a different zodiac. What is the Lunar New Year? The first dated Chinese new year celebration can be traced back to the Warring States period (475 BC – 221 BC). In Lüshi Chunqiu , an exorcistic ritual called "Big Nuo ( 大儺 )" was recorded being carried out in the ending day of a year to expel illness in Qin . 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 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. Chinese New Year is the most important holiday in China. Tied to the Chinese lunar calendar, it begins on the new moon that appears between January 21 and February 20. The holiday was In diaspora communities, particularly in cultural enclaves, Lunar New Year is visibly and joyfully celebrated. In the Chinese zodiac, 2025 is the Year of the Snake. Different countries across Asia Lunar New Year celebrations begin with the first new moon of the lunar calendar and end 15 days later on the first full moon. The San Diego Chinese New Year Fair will be the following weekend, 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. 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). Lunar New Year is widely celebrated throughout Asian communities and refers to the period between the first new moon of the lunar calendar and the first full moon. In the Philippines, Chinese New Year (Philippine Hokkien Chinese: 咱人年兜; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Lán-nâng Nî-tau) is considered as one of the important festivals for Chinese Filipinos, and its celebration has also extended to the majority non-Chinese Filipinos, especially since in 2012, Chinese New Year was included as a public regular non Mark Your Calendars Chinese New Year 2025 is January 29, 2025. The celebration lasts from the night before the first day of the lunar year until the Lantern Festival 15 days later. For the first time ever, the City of Tulsa will recognize and celebrate the Lunar New Year. Lunar New Year is celebrated throughout Asia and among Asian communities throughout the world starting on the new moon, typically between late January and mid-February. The holiday’s celebrations are known for hanging lanterns and dragon and lion dancers.
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