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Why is Chinese New Year called Lunar New Year?
Does Lunar New Year change every year?
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When is Lunar New Year in China?
The first day of Chinese New Year begins on the new moon that appears between 21 January and 20 February. [ a ] Chinese New Year is one of the most important holidays in Chinese culture.
Sep 13, 2024 · Chinese New Year, annual 15-day festival in China and Chinese communities around the world that begins with the new moon that occurs sometime between January 21 and February 20 according to Western calendars. Festivities last until the following full moon.
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- Zodiac Animals
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Each year in the Lunar calendar is represented by one of 12 zodiac animals included in the cycle of 12 stations or “signs” along the apparent path of the sun through the cosmos. The 12 zodiac animals are the rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, sheep, monkey, rooster, dog and pig. In addition to the animals, five elements of earth, water, ...
Each culture celebrates the Lunar New Year differently with various foods and traditions that symbolize prosperity, abundance and togetherness. In preparation for the Lunar New Year, houses are thoroughly cleaned to rid them of inauspicious spirits, which might have collected during the old year. Cleaning is also meant to open space for good will a...
Chinese New Year is thought to date back to the Shang Dynasty in the 14th century B.C. Under Emperor Wu of Han (140–87 B.C.), the tradition of carrying out rituals on the first day of the Chinese calendar year began. “This holiday has ancient roots in China as an agricultural society. It was the occasion to celebrate the harvest and worship the god...
In Vietnamese celebrations of the holiday, homes are decorated with kumquat trees and flowers such as peach blossoms, chrysanthemums, orchids and red gladiolas. As in China, travel is heavy during the holiday as family members gather to mark the new year. Families feast on five-fruit platters to honor their ancestors. Tết celebrations can also incl...
In Korea, official Lunar New Year celebrations were halted from 1910-1945. This was when the Empire of Japan annexed Korea and ruled it as a colony until the end of World War II. Celebrations of Seollal were officially revived in 1989, although many families had already begun observing the lunar holiday. North Korea began celebrating the Lunar New ...
Cultures celebrating Lunar New Year have different ways of greeting each other during the holiday. In Mandarin, a common way to wish family and close friends a happy New Year is “Xīnnián hǎo,” meaning “New Year Goodness” or “Good New Year.” Another greeting is “Xīnnián kuàilè,” meaning "Happy New Year." Traditional greetings during Tết in Vietnam a...
"Lunar New Year origins, customs explained," by Laura Rico, University of California, Irvine, February 19, 2015. "Everything you need to know about Vietnamese Tết," Vietnam Insider, December 3, 2020. "Seollal, Korean Lunar New Year," by Brendan Pickering, Asia Society. "The Origin of Chinese New Year," by Haiwang Yuan, Western Kentucky University T...
Chinese New Year or Lunar New Year or Spring Festival 2025 falls on Wednesday, January 29th, 2025. Snake is the new year animal. Learn more about Chinese Lunar New Year traditions, taboos, food, zodiac signs, and greetings.
Lunar New Year falls on different dates each year, but always falls between February 10 and February 24 of the international standard calendar. Its traditional Chinese celebrations last for 16 days, from Lunar New Year's Eve to the Lantern Festival. In 2025, Lunar New Year will fall on Wednesday, January 29th and start a year of the Dragon.
Aug 21, 2024 · 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 Lunar New Year date changes every year, falling no earlier than January 21 and no later than February 21. But why? Read our holiday news article on this very topic. What Do People Do? Lunar New Year is the most important and longest of all Chinese festivals, celebrated in Chinese and other East Asian communities worldwide.
