Chinese New Year
For other traditions of celebrating lunar new year, see Lunar New Year.
Chinese New Year
Lion dancers at Historic Chinatown Gate, Chinese New Year, Hing Hay Park, Seattle, Washington
(February 3, 2011)
Also called Lunar New Year, Spring Festival, New Year
Observed by Chinese communities worldwide[1]
Type Cultural, Religious
(Buddhist, Taoist, Confucian)
Significance The first day of the Chinese calendar (lunisolar calendar)
2012 date Monday, January 23, Dragon
2013 date Sunday, February 10, Snake
2014 date Friday, January 31, Horse
Celebrations Lion dances, fireworks, family gathering, family meal, visiting friends and relatives (拜年, bàinián), giving red envelopes, decorating with duilian (對聯, duìlián).
Related to Lantern Festival, which concludes the celebration of the New Year.
Mongol New Year (Tsagaan Sar), Tibetan New Year (Losar), Japanese New Year (Shōgatsu), Korean New Year (Seollal), Vietnamese New Year (Tết) This article contains Chinese text. Without proper rendering support, you may see question marks, boxes, or other symbols instead of Chinese characters.
Chinese New Year
Traditional Chinese 農曆新年
Simplified Chinese 农历新年
Literal meaning Agricultural / Agrarian Calendar's New Year
[show]Transcriptions
Spring Festival
Traditional Chinese 春節
Simplified Chinese 春节
Literal meaning Spring Festival
[show]Transcriptions
Chinese New Year is an important traditional Chinese holidays. In China, it is also known as the Spring Festival, the literal translation of the modern Chinese name. Chinese New Year celebrations traditionally ran from Chinese New Year's Eve, the last day of the last month of the Chinese calendar, to the Lantern Festival on the 15th day of the first month, making the festival the longest in the Chinese calendar. Because the Chinese calendar is lunisolar, the Chinese New Year is often referred to as the "Lunar New Year".
The origin of Chinese New Year is itself centuries old and gains significance because of several
Chinese New Year
Lion dancers at Historic Chinatown Gate, Chinese New Year, Hing Hay Park, Seattle, Washington
(February 3, 2011)
Also called Lunar New Year, Spring Festival, New Year
Observed by Chinese communities worldwide[1]
Type Cultural, Religious
(Buddhist, Taoist, Confucian)
Significance The first day of the Chinese calendar (lunisolar calendar)
2012 date Monday, January 23, Dragon
2013 date Sunday, February 10, Snake
2014 date Friday, January 31, Horse
Celebrations Lion dances, fireworks, family gathering, family meal, visiting friends and relatives (拜年, bàinián), giving red envelopes, decorating with duilian (對聯, duìlián).
Related to Lantern Festival, which concludes the celebration of the New Year.
Mongol New Year (Tsagaan Sar), Tibetan New Year (Losar), Japanese New Year (Shōgatsu), Korean New Year (Seollal), Vietnamese New Year (Tết) This article contains Chinese text. Without proper rendering support, you may see question marks, boxes, or other symbols instead of Chinese characters.
Chinese New Year
Traditional Chinese 農曆新年
Simplified Chinese 农历新年
Literal meaning Agricultural / Agrarian Calendar's New Year
[show]Transcriptions
Spring Festival
Traditional Chinese 春節
Simplified Chinese 春节
Literal meaning Spring Festival
[show]Transcriptions
Chinese New Year is an important traditional Chinese holidays. In China, it is also known as the Spring Festival, the literal translation of the modern Chinese name. Chinese New Year celebrations traditionally ran from Chinese New Year's Eve, the last day of the last month of the Chinese calendar, to the Lantern Festival on the 15th day of the first month, making the festival the longest in the Chinese calendar. Because the Chinese calendar is lunisolar, the Chinese New Year is often referred to as the "Lunar New Year".
The origin of Chinese New Year is itself centuries old and gains significance because of several