In Chinese, the festival is commonly known as the "Spring Festival" (traditional Chinese: 春節; simplified Chinese: 春节; pinyin: Chūnjié), [16] as the spring season in the lunisolar calendar traditionally starts with lichun, the first of the twenty-four solar terms which the festival celebrates around the time of the Chinese New Year. [17] 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 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. 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. In 1912, the government abolished Chinese New Year and the lunar new year and adopted the Gregorian calendar which made January 1 the official start of the new year. In 1949, under the reign of the Chinese Communist Party leader, Mao Zedong, the government outlawed the celebration of the traditional Chinese New Year. The traditions of Chinese New Year spread to these regions as a result of migration, trade, and cultural exchange over centuries. Vietnam, which was under Chinese rule for over a thousand years, celebrates Tết Nguyên Đán, which shares many customs with Chinese New Year such as ancestor worship, red envelopes, and lucky foods. 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 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. 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. 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. WUHU, CHINA - JANUARY 28: Family members enjoy a Chinese New Year's Eve dinner, also known as Nian Ye Fan or Reunion Dinner, at a restaurant on the eve of Chinese New Year on January 28, 2025 in 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 The Lunar New Year begins Jan. 29, and communities across the United States and worldwide are holding celebrations. China's most important holiday — the Lunar New Year is also widely celebrated Chinese New Year is the festival that celebrates the beginning of a new year on the traditional Chinese lunisolar calendar. Chinese New Year 2025 will fall on Wednesday, January 29th. The date changes every year but is always somewhere in the period from January 21st to February 20th. MOOSE JAW — The Chinese Lunar New Year was celebrated under a canopy of vibrant red, the rhythmic beating of traditional drums, and several presentations to mark the beginning of the Year of the Snake at the Town ‘N’ Country Mall on Jan. 25. The celebration also marked an historical moment as The Chinese New Year, also known as the Lunar New Year as it occurs on the first new moon of the lunar calendar , celebrates renewal, family, and cultural traditions. From the vibrant red decorations to the symbolic foods, the holiday is a time for reflection and connection. When does Chinese New Year start? Chinese New Year in 2025 starts on Wednesday, Jan. 29. When does Chinese New Year end? Chinese New Year in 2025 lasts until the Lantern Festival on Feb. 12. Mao shared that the Hokkiens typically celebrate in a major way on the 15th day of Lunar New Year, a day called “chap goh mei,” which is their biggest celebration day. For Cantonese and Hakka, the first three days of Lunar New Year are the most auspicious, with the first day being the best day to throw open houses with lion dances. How is Chinese New Year celebrated? Spring Festival is a time for families to come together, exchange money-filled red envelopes (红包, hóngbāo), and enjoy delicious Chinese food. The Chinese New Year is a 15-day holiday and includes a variety of festivities depending on the region and its local traditions and customs.
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