Chinese New Year is a celebration of the year that starts with the first day of the Chinese Lunar Calendar. It is one of the most important festivals in China and it marks the transition from winter to spring. In China, New Year celebrations are also known as Spring Festival or simply Spring Festival. The start of the Chinese New Year has been falling on February 5 since 1911 when a proclamation was made by the Provisional Government of the Republic of China to adjust its dates with those in Europe.
Chinese New Year is celebrated in China, Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan on the first day of the Chinese lunar calendar. It’s also known as Spring Festival in Mainland China and Singapore. Every year, the festival takes place from 16th January to 15th February. It is a time for family reunions, celebrations and cleaning up.
When is Chinese New Year 2025?
Chinese New Year, also known as Lunar New Year or a 15-day festival, is held every year based on the sighting of the new moon. Spring Festival is also celebrated as the occasion, and an animal is identified with each New Year. compared to a stable cycle, the animals rotate and repeat. This year Chinese New Year falls on Wednesday, January 29, 2025.
What is the Chinese New Year?
On the traditional Chinese calendar, the Chinese New Year is the Chinese festival that commemorates the beginning of a new year. In mainland China, the festival is observed as the Spring Festival, and it is one of many Lunar New Year in Asia. The first day of the Chinese New Year is observed on the fresh moon, which occurs between January 21 and February 20. It is a major holiday in Greater China, and it has influenced Lunar New Year celebrations in China’s nearby cultures, such as the Korean New Year, the Vietnamese Tt, and the Tibetan Losar. Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, North America, and Europe are among the countries that possess significant Chinese populations, and it is also celebrated worldwide.
The Kuomintang party announced in 1928 that the Lunar New Year would be on the first of January, according to the Gregorian Calendar, but this was scrapped due to public opposition. During the Cultural Revolution of 1967, Chinese New Year celebrations were prohibited. Chinese government officials announced that the public should change customs, and hold a revolutionized and combative Spring Festival and that because people had to work on Chinese New Year’s Eve, people would not be allowed holidays on the day of Spring Festival. Public celebrations had been resurrected by the time of the Chinese economic reform.
Traditionally, both deities and ancestors were honored at the festival. How Chinese families gather for their annual reunion dinner varies greatly from region to region, and the evening before Chinese New Year’s Day is often seen as a time to celebrate regional customs and traditions. It is a tradition for every family to thoroughly clean their homes to sweep away any rotten fortune and to prepare for incoming good fortune.
Chinese New Years Around the World
Although the majority of us follow the Gregorian Calendar, New Year’s Days are still observed around the world for traditional or religious reasons.
How to Celebrate Chinese New Year?
Chinese New Year, also known as Spring Festival is a celebration that goes back to the Zhou Dynasty (1122 – 256 BC). It is celebrated in mainland China and Taiwan by millions of people. Traditionally, it was a festival for family reunions, but today it is more about feasting and spending time with friends and relatives. The following are some of the best celebration ideas for the New Year.
Remember your ancestors
It’s easy to overlook that New Year is a holiday for the entire family, children, and elders, in the midst of all of the celebrations. take a moment to admire the people you are nearest to.
New Year Decorations
Even though some people decorate their homes several days before the festival, the majority of people do so on Chinese New Year’s Eve. Red lanterns, red spring couplets, paper cuttings, and New Year’s paintings are all on display in homes.
Eat and be merry
To begin, consider all of the sweet sum delights that await the Chinese New Year. Then, continue to take part in the fireworks, parades, and other merriment. The New Year is related to bringing about better luck for the future. Take time to chill and cherish the company of others.
Watching CCTV’s New Year Gala
Numerous families now view the CCTV New Year Gala while eating dinner. The Gala begins at 8 p.m. and finishes at midnight when the New Year arrives. It presents classic, folk, and pop performances by China’s greatest singers, dancers, and acrobats, among others.
Watching Lion and Dragon Dances
On New Year’s Day, you’ll also watch lion and dragon dances. They were once very famous in China, but they are now available in a variety of locations. Hong Kong and Macau are more popular to get them.
Chinese New Year FAQ
How long is the Chinese New Year?
It is also recognized as the Lunar New Year or Spring Festival, and it lasts about two weeks, starting on Chinese New Year’s Eve and finishing with the Lantern Festival on the 15th day of the year.
How long does the Chinese New Year holiday last?
The Spring Festival, also known as New Year celebrations, occurs on the 23rd day of China’s 12 lunar months of the calendar. The festival takes about 23 days, with the 15th day of the first lunar month in the Chinese calendar being the coming year.
Why is it called Chinese New Year?
The New Year is also recognized in English as the “Lunar New Year” or “Chinese Lunar New Year,” because the traditional Chinese calendar is based on the moon’s changes. Luna, an old Latin name for the moon, is the source of this name.
Why are Chinese New Year 15 days?
The Lunar New Year is the first day of the year in the lunar calendar. The celebration lasts 15 days, with each day bringing its very special meaning and traditions to recognize. She is thought to have spent the first six days making animals, the seventh-day making humans, and the eighth day creating grains.
Chinese New Year Traditions
There are 12 animals in the Chinese Zodiac. Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, and Pig are among the existing animals. In order of importance. The Chinese New Year is a grand one, just like the Gregorian calendar’s New Year celebration. A tradition closely followed on this day is coming together with the family to enjoy a feast.
During the New Year, some foods are symbolic and are widely consumed. Dumplings are a food symbolized by wealth, so they are eaten in abundance, with fish being another typical food. Red is generally seen as a nice color in China, and it can be found all over the country during the New Year, indicating vitality, happiness, good fortune, beauty, and luck.
Chinese New Year Dates
Year | Day | Date |
2024 | Saturday | 10-Feb |
2025 | Wednesday | 29-Jan |
Conclusion:
Chinese New Year is a time for family and friends to gather together, celebrate with feasts and gifts, and wish each other a prosperous year ahead. When you plan to host your celebration, you’ll want to know the dates of the new year so that you can arrange things accordingly. And if you’re looking for something more than a traditional gift or celebration, why not write about it?