These 10 Asian countries each enjoy the Lunar New Year with unique traditions and celebrations. Although often referred to as Chinese New Year, the Lunar New Year is celebrated all over the world. In many Asian countries, it is a festival that is celebrated for several days. 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. It always falls on the first day of the Chinese lunar calendar, which begins the day after the first new moon appears between 21 January and 20 February each year. That means that Chinese New Year In many Asian countries, it is a festival that is celebrated for several days. In diaspora communities, particularly in cultural enclaves, Lunar New Year is visibly and joyfully celebrated. “Wishing you all—and everyone celebrating across our capital and around the world—a very Happy Lunar New Year.” A Chinese Lion Dance team performed for spectators during celebrations for For Chinese people, Lunar New Year is the Spring Festival, and it’s celebrated widely in Taiwan and across Southeast Asia in countries with large Chinese populations, such as Singapore and Malaysia. An egg is offered to tiger sculptures at a Chinese temple during Chinese Lunar New Year celebrations in Kandal province, Cambodia. EPA Incense is burned at a Chinese temple in the Chinatown area of Yangon, Myanmar, on the first day of the Lunar New Year of the Dragon. Contrary to what many people may think, Lunar New Year is not exclusively a Chinese holiday. True, it follows the Chinese Lunar calendar, but the holiday is celebrated across the entire continent Lunar New Year marks the beginning of a new year on China's traditional lunisolar calendar. It is a time for family gatherings. It is the most important festival in China (where it is known as Chinese New Year or Spring Festival), and it is also widely celebrated in South Korea (where it is known as Seollal), in Vietnam (as Tet), as well as Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, and other countries 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. For around 1.4 billion Chinese, the new year begins on February 10 - unlike in the Gregorian calendar, China calculates its traditional new year's date according to the lunar cycle. While various Using “Lunar New Year” is a sign of respect linguistically and culturally to all the different countries that celebrate the holiday, but it’s also OK to celebrate individually, experts say. On Jan. 29, Asian American communities around the U.S. will ring in the Year of the Snake with community carnivals, family gatherings, parades, traditional food, fireworks and other festivities For New Year celebrations that follow Chinese-inspired calendars but are outside of China and Chinese diaspora (such as Korea's Seollal and Vietnam's Tết), see the article on Lunar New Year. For other countries and regions where Chinese New Year is celebrated but not an official holiday, see the table below. How many countries celebrate the Lunar New Year? Most countries have some sort of Lunar New Year celebration, but China, Vietnam, Malaysia, Philippines, South Korea, Singapore, Thailand, Japan, Indonesia, and Tibet all have official celebrations. 26 votes, 38 comments. true. That’s a very narrow viewpoint. It was simply New Year for all other cultures that follow and celebrate the lunar new year before it was labeled by the western world. To think that it should be called Chinese new year is a bit strange simply because.. the Americans and trade posts only knew Since the mid-1990s people in China have been given seven consecutive days off work during the Chinese New Year. This week of relaxation has been designated Spring Festival, a term that is sometimes used to refer to the Chinese New Year in general. The origins of the Chinese New Year are steeped in legend. One legend is that thousands of years Lunar New Year is celebrated in many Asian countries, including China, Vietnam, the Koreas, Singapore, and Malaysia. Though some traditions are shared, others are unique to each country's cultural identity. In China, Lunar New Year is called Chūnjié (/chwnn-jyeah/), i.e. 'Spring Festival', or "Chinese New Year". Lunar New Year is a time-honored festival celebrated by multiple countries in Asia, and it is increasingly popular in some Western countries. More than 1.5 billion people celebrate Lunar New Year each year with colorful traditions and activities to welcome a new year and wish for luck and prosperity. Click to see more about Chinese New Year date. 5. Why Do the Chinese Call Chinese New Year 'Spring Festival'? Chinese New Year always falls within half a month of 'Start of Spring' (beginning February 4), the first of the 24 solar terms of China's traditional solar calendar.
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