The Chinese New Year, also known as the Spring Festival, is not a one-day event but a grand celebration that spans 15 days. But why 15 days, you ask? The answer lies in the lunar calendar. 📅 Fourth Day of Chinese New Year 初四. The day to honour the Kitchen god who would return to Heaven to report on the family to the Jade Emperor, some place nian2 gao1 (New Year Sticky Cake) as offerings to appease the Kitchen god who then either can’t speak much due to the stickiness of the sweet cake or speaks sweet nothings about the family. Chinese New Year or Lunar New Year celebration usually lasts 15 days, from New Year's Eve to the 15th day of the Chinese New Year—the Lantern Festival. In 2025, the celebration starts on Jan. 28th and ends on Feb. 12th. It's also a very important New Year's tradition to 守岁 (shǒu suì) - stay up until midnight to welcome the New Year. 正月初一 (zhēng yuè chū yī) The 1st Day of the 1st Lunar Month. In celebration of the arrival of the new spring, once the night of New Year's Eve has passed the air is filled with the sound and smoke of firecrackers. The first day of the New Year is known as Yuan Dan (Chinese: 元旦; pinyin: yuándàn (First Morning of the year), New Year’s Day, First Day (or Duan Ri). During the 15 day period new year visits (Traditional Chinese: 拜年; pinyin: bài nián, translated: pay respect, worship, salute the year) will be made to family and friends. 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. Celebrations of Chinese New Year traditionally last for 16 days, starting from Chinese New Year's Eve to the Lantern Festival. In 2025, that is from February 28th to February 12th. In 2025, that is from February 28th to February 12th. This year, the 15-day festival begins Friday and will be a time for adherents to usher in a new year with a variety of cultural traditions. Here's everything to know about the 2025 Lunar New Year Celebrations of Chinese New Year traditionally last for 16 days, starting from Chinese New Year's Eve to the Lantern Festival. The public holiday in 2025 is from January 28th to February 4th, lasting 8 days. New Delhi: 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. In many Asian countries, it is a festival that is celebrated for several days. In diaspora One of the main reasons Chinese New Year is celebrated is to honor ancestors and family members who have passed away. Families gather to pay their respects at ancestral gravesites and offer prayers and offerings to ensure the well-being of their deceased loved ones in the afterlife. Chinese New Year is also a time to ward off evil spirits and Lunar New Year celebrations can last up to 15 days, starting on the new moon between late January and mid-February. The exact date varies each year based on the lunar calendar. The new year begins Unlike in the west where the New Year's celebrations last for just a day, the Chinese New Year is celebrated across 15 days in Asia this year. A public holiday is also declared for seven days Celebrate Chinese New Year 2025 from January 29 to February 12, marking the Year of the Wood Snake. Enjoy family gatherings, traditional dishes, and vibrant parades during this 15-day festival. 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. Unlike the usual new year, which is celebrated just on January 1st, the Chinese new year is celebrated for 16 days, starting from the Chinese New year’s eve, ending in the Lantern Festival. Certain traditions happen between these 16 days and they are certainly worth knowing and understanding. Happy new year! Wednesday, Jan. 29, marks the Chinese New Year. is also known as the Lunar New Year or Spring Festival. The occasion is celebrated in China and many other Asian communities, and 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. This year, the 15-day festival begins Friday and will be a time for adherents to usher in a new year with a variety of cultural traditions. Here's everything to know about the 2025 Lunar New Year
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