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If you are not too familiar with the meaning behind the Chinese New Year, you might have noticed that it does not fall on the same day every year. Last year, the New Year fell on the 1 February Chinese New Year is extremely special because it’s all about tradition, celebration, and spending time with those who mean the most to you. One of the biggest questions people seem to have is about why the Chinese New Year date happens to change every 365 days. Here’s what you should know if you’re new to celebrating the holiday. Because it coincides with the Gregorian calendar, it is the same date every year. The Chinese New Year coincides with the lunar calendar. On the lunar calendar, the first day of the month begins during the new moon. Because of this, the Chinese New Year falls on different dates each year. However, it does always fall between January 21 and The first day of Chinese New Year starts on the New Moon closest to spring. (That’s why Chinese New Year is called the Spring Festival.) And ends on the Full Moon 15 days later with the Lantern Festival. The first day of Chinese New Year is always between Jan 21st and Feb 21st. But why are Chinese New Year dates so “unpredictable”? To In the lunar calendar, one year is divided into 12 months and the months have either 29 or 30 days, always beginning on days of astronomical new moons. So each year has 354 or 355 days. To make the average length of the years equal to a tropical year, an intercalary month is added every two or three years. Details: One year on a Gregorian calendar is 365 days, with a leftover "leap day" every few years. One year on a lunisolar calendar is 11 days shorter, and the difference gets rolled into leap months, rather than a leap day. That's why events like Lunar New Year can seem to move around a lot, when you try to map them onto the Gregorian calendar. So, the next time you're wondering why the Chinese New Year doesn't fall on the same date each year, remember the intricate and fascinating system that underlies this centuries-old tradition. It's a reminder of the enduring connection between China's past and its vibrant present. Chinese New Year doesn’t fall on the same day every year, because it follows the lunar calendar. According to this calendar, the new year begins on the new moon between January 21 st and February 20 th , so the exact date of the Spring Festival changes every year. 4. Why Doesn't Chinese New Year Fall on New Year's Day? Chinese New Year is never on January 1. Chinese have a different traditional date for New Year. Chinese New Year's date is determined by the Chinese lunar calendar, which is always 21–51 days behind the corresponding Gregorian (international) calendar date. Lunar New Year will always fall sometime between 21 January and 20 February. In 2023, the celebrations kick off on the earlier side, with Chinese New Year festivities beginning on Sunday, 22 Are Chinese New Year and Lunar New Year the Same Thing? 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. Some people argue that we should call the festival Lunar New Year rather than the Chinese New Year as it is more global and less culturally specific. Mine is a different discussion. It begins anywhere between 21 January and 20 February on the Gregorian calendar, but must coincide with the lunar cycle. The first day of Chinese New Year starts with the new moon, and the last The terms Lunar New Year and Chinese New Year are often used interchangeably. But it’s not the same. Although both celebrate the start of a new year according to the lunar calendar, they have different meanings, traditions, and cultural significance. A shop selling decorations for the Chinese New Year in Wuhan, China (). The fireworks at Singapore's River Hongbao during the Lantern Festival in 2015. Chinese New Year, known in China as the Spring Festival and in Singapore as the Lunar New Year, is a holiday on and around the new moon on the first day of the year in the traditional Chinese calendar. In 2014, the Chinese New Year falls on Jan. 31, a full month after the western calendar celebrated New Year's Day on Jan. 1. Not only do the New Year celebrations not match up this year, they In 1912, the government decided to abolish Chinese New Year and the lunar calendar, but adopted the Gregorian calendar instead and made January 1 the official start of the new year. After 1949, Chinese New Year was renamed to the Spring Festival . Today is Chinese New Year 2025, heralding in the Year of the Snake – the Wood Snake, to be exact. Lunar New Year isn’t just celebrated in China though, with countries such as Japan, Thailand Find out why China will celebrate the New Year in February this year
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