In January 2023, Disneyland Resort used "Lunar New Year" in a promotional post on Twitter, prompting intense criticism on social media. The same year, the British Museum found itself under similar criticism after using "Korean Lunar New Year" in publicity materials related to a South Korean art performance on Twitter. Simply put, Chinese New Year and Lunar New Year are not the same. Despite being related, there are a few noteworthy differences between the two. Read on to find out what they are. The Differences between Chinese New Year and Lunar New Year 1. "Chinese New Year" is specific while "Lunar New Year" is more general. A longstanding debate over the usage of “Chinese New Year” versus “Lunar New Year” has reignited in recent weeks as people around the world celebrated the holiday, with brands and Chinese bubble tea brand popular both in and outside China, found itself in hot water when it used the term “Lunar New Year”. ST PHOTO: YEW LUN TIAN UPDATED Jan 28, 2025, 03:49 PM 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? You probably already know about Chinese New Year. Chinese New Year is a lunar new year celebration that’s similar to lunar calendars used by Tibetans, Hindus, certain Buddhist groups, and even one sect of Judaism. Lunar New Year is celebrated when the first new lunar cycle starts with a new moon. (A new moon is the absence of the moon.) Lunar New Year vs Chinese New Year: the FAQ Now you know the differences between the Lunar New Year vs Chinese New Year and can show your erudition off in the company. But if we missed something in our explanation, check out the answers to frequently asked questions on this topic — this way, you will surely know everything about it. The Lunar New Year is traditionally a time for food, festivities, and family gatherings. It is celebrated in many countries, including China, Vietnam, Korea, Singapore, and Malaysia. Despite the variations, Lunar New Year celebrations across these cultures share common themes of family gatherings, honoring ancestors, and wishing for good luck and prosperity in the upcoming year. The Differences between Chinese New Year and Lunar New Year 1. “Chinese New Year” is specific while “Lunar New Year” is more general. 27th January 2025 – (Hong Kong) The recent controversy over whether to call the upcoming spring festival “Chinese New Year” or “Lunar New Year” reflects a deeper understanding of contextual communication that the rest of the world might do well to observe. You are wrong. lunar new year is NOT the more common term. CNY is. Or you can call it Chinese Lunar New Year, because this festival is originated in China, the same way we call Swiss army knife, Scotch whisky, English breakfast tea. These products are used by the whole world but they are named after origin country! This was prompted by NewJeans Danielle's controversy and apology for saying 'Chinese New Year'. It just feels like a controversy that is waiting to happen every New Year, some idol will inevitably say Chinese New Year (CNY) instead of Lunar New Year (LNY) and knets will begin to dogpile them and release their sin Chinese New Year specifically refers to the festival in China. Lunar New Year is a broader term for similar celebrations across Asia. Both are based on lunar calendars, but the Chinese calendar dictates the timing of Chinese New Year. Let me pull out an interesting sentence for you: The Lunar New Year celebrations of the East Asian cultural sphere occur on the same date across the region, on the new moon, which occurs in late January or early February, and are based on the Chinese lunisolar calendar. Order your SMÁLÀ Chili Oil here: Hot Pot Boys Podcast Playlist: Happy tet. Happy Chunjie. Happy seollal etc. If u and the recipient are of different culture, its best to say both. Happy korean new year and chinese new year! “Happy lunar new year” should be ok too, but now its associated with intention of not wanting to say “happy chinese new year” so some chinese people might not like hearing it. Am Chinese, Chinese New Year and Lunar New Year aren't the same thing. Lots of cultures celebrate Lunar New Year, but Chinese New Year has its own specific details. There's a lot of nationalism among Chinese unfortunately especially first generation. Those that grew up outside of China (and thus didn't get brainwashed by the CCP) are more chill. The incident has sparked a debate on Reddit and the Chinese social media platform Little Red Book (Xiaohongshu) about "Chinese New Year" being supplanted by "Lunar New Year". Latest News The problem with calling Chinese New Year lunar new year is that the Chinese calendar is a lunisolar calendar not a lunar calendar. the Islamic calendar is the only major calendar that is actually a lunar calendar. furthermore, most calendars in the world are lunisolar/lunar; such as the Jewish, Indian, Persia, etc. Because a wide variety of cultures around the world have different names for the holiday. By specifically calling the Lunar New Year Chinese New Year it can be seen as completely disregarding all of those different cultures especially if you are talking to a diverse group of people who celebrate it.
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