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Chinese cakes are not the only desserts enjoyed in Japan during the Lunar New Year. Japanese wagashi-ya (sweet shops) also help welcome the new year with wagashi (traditional Japanese sweets) shaped into the year’s Chinese zodiac animal. Japanese bakeries also often bake small Western-style cakes in the shape of that year’s animal. Japanese New Year falls on the 1st of January each year, following the Gregorian calendar. Chinese New Year follows the traditional lunar calendar, for instance, the first day of Chinese New Year this year falls on the 12th of February. What Japanese vs Chinese eat during the New Year Just like Lunar New Year itself, the Chinese zodiac has influences in Japan’s New Year celebrations. In Japanese, this is referred to as jūnishi (十二支, twelve branches) or eto (干支, sexagenary cycle) and is also used in fortune telling. However, the animals also play a central role in the New Year celebrations of any given year. Japan Used to Celebrate the Lunar New Year (A visit to a local temple on New Year’s Day. Image: taka1022/Shutterstock.) The Chinese lunisolar calendar was introduced to Japan in the sixth century CE, and it was the principal method of timekeeping in Japan until 1873. Prior to that, Japan shared its New Year’s Day with China, Korea, and Japanese New Year vs Chinese Lunar New Year? Japanese New Year is celebrated on January 1, as per the Gregorian calendar, which began using in 1873. China’s Lunar New Year is celebrated between the first full moon of the new year and early February, giving plenty of time for eating, dancing and parading through Chinatown. Celebrated by many countries with Chinese influence, Lunar New Year follows the lunisolar calendar year, and often happens near the end of January or at the beginning of February. Similar to Japanese New Year, relatives visit each other to enjoy auspicious food, but these food are different, and can range from dumplings and roasted pig to Japan’s new year holiday is every January 1st in alignment with western calendars. In fact, Chinese New Year is known as 旧正月, or “old/former new year.” The Japanese switched to the Gregorian calendar in the Meiji era, when the entire country was modernized due to western influences. Has Japan Ever Celebrated The Lunar New Year? There was a time when Japan did celebrate the Lunar New Year. In the sixth century CE, the Chinese lunisolar calendar became the main way of timekeeping within Japan. This lasted until the year 1873. Before this came about, Japan actually celebrated New Year’s Day along with Vietnam, Korea and China. However, during the Meiji Era, the Japanese government moved towards Westernization and adopted the Gregorian calendar with the New Year beginning on January 1. Still, the symbolic importance of Chinese zodiac animals has continued, with the animals being incorporated into Japanese New Year celebrations. Furthermore, Lunar New Year festivities To this day, the Lunar New Year celebration is centered around removing bad luck and welcoming all that is good and prosperous. Red is considered an auspicious color to ring in the new year. In many Asian cultures, the color symbolizes good fortune and joy. The Chinese have three official New Year days (1st, 2nd, 3rd), but many places last for 7 days. In some places, the time is up to 15 days. Tet in Korea takes place for three days, the day before the new year, the 1st and the second day. Chinese, Koreans and Vietnamese celebrates the Lunar New Year, but how are they different? Also, how are their new years connected to the Japanese? This vide 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: Beijing, Xian, Shanghai ; 11 Days North China Ancient Town Exploration Tour: Beijing, Datong, Pingyao, Xian, Shanghai 2021 marks my 3rd year new year in Japan and for the past 2 new year's we've been celebrating it at the danna's parents house with Osechi prepared lovingly by his grandmother despite being wheelchair bound. The 2016 Chinese New Year is on February 8 th, commencing the year of the Monkey. Identified as the most famous element of the Chinese New Year is the 12 year-cycle of the animal zodiac. The Chinese New Year celebrations begin eight days before the New Year. Occasionally, about every 24 years, Korean New Year will occur one day after Chinese New Year because of the new moon between Korea’s midnight (15:00UTC) and China’s midnight (16:00UTC). Okay, so nearly everyone in the world has adopted the Gregorian calendar and thus celebrate new year’s day on January 1st. The second New Year is on the first day of the Lunar New Year, in line with the rest of the world. These celebrations are on a smaller scale but also incorporate elements of indigenous and Chinese culture. Lastly, the third and final New Year’s celebration takes place on the 16th day of the Lunar New Year, or Jūrukunichi in Okinawan. 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. Lunar New Year vs Chinese New Year. While many use the terms Lunar New Year and Chinese New Year interchangeably, Lunar New Year encompasses celebrations across cultures, such as Korean Seollal, Vietnamese Tết, and more. Acknowledging these differences highlights the rich diversity of this shared tradition. Their grammatical structures diverge significantly, with Chinese following a more familiar pattern for English speakers and Japanese presenting a new challenge with its SOV structure. In pronunciation, Chinese’s tonal system contrasts sharply with Japanese’s pitch accent.
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