
What is the real date for Chinese New Year?
This year, the Lunar New Year celebrations are being held between January 31 and February 15. https://images.indianexpress.com/2020/08/1x1.png. Since the Chinese calendar is a combination of solar and lunar movements, the New Year arrives on a different date every year. The festival is celebrated by millions of people across the world, from China all the way to North America, including in India, wherever Chinese communities are found.
How many days are there in a Chinese New Year?
Not only does the Chinese New Year mark the perfect time to enjoy a feast with your loved ones, but it is also a chance to clear out old things and welcome the good luck of the year. While the festival officially lasts for only three on our calendar, it is actually celebrated for up to 15 days.
How to Stay Lucky during the Chinese New Year?
How to Stay Lucky During the Chinese New Year
- Give your house a spring cleaning. In the run up to the Chinese New Year, it’s fortuitous to give your house a good clean. ...
- Decorate with red lanterns. In Chinese culture, red is the color of happiness and celebration, and leading up to Chinese New Year, the color can be seen everywhere in Chinese ...
- Offer red envelopes of money
Which countries celebrate Chinese New Year?
- South Korea. The Korean New Year is also celebrated on the Lunar New Year. ...
- Tibet. The Tibetan Lunar New Year is called Losar. ...
- China. Lunar New Year is also known as ChūnJié or Spring Festival in China. ...
- Singapore. Singapore has a large Chinese community so the Lunar New Year is celebrated much the same as in China.
- Indonesia. ...

How long does the Chinese New Year celebration last?
about two weeksThe celebrations traditionally last about two weeks in total, from Chinese New Year's Eve to the Lantern Festival, held on the 15th day of the lunar year. Regional customs and traditions vary widely but share the same theme: seeing out the old year and welcoming in the luck and prosperity of a new year.
Why is Chinese New Year 15 days?
Chinese New Year starts with the New moon on the first day of the first lunar month and ends on the Full moon 15 days later.
How long is the Chinese New Year 2022 celebration?
After half a month's busy time with a house spring-clean and holiday shopping, the festivities kick off on the New Year's Eve, and last 15 days, until the full moon arrives with the Lantern Festival.
What time does Chinese New Year End?
The public holiday lasts from January 31st to February 6th, during which the New Year's Eve on January 31st and the New Year's Day on February 1st are the peak time of celebration. The commonly known New Year calendar counts from the New Year's Eve to the Lantern Festival on February 15th 2022.
What do you eat on 15th day of CNY?
Sweet Rice Balls (Tāngyuán) are traditionally eaten on the 15th day of the new year, marking the final day of Chinese New Year celebrations. Some people eat them throughout the New Year too, hence it really depends on the traditions of each family.
What do you eat on 7th day of Chinese New Year?
7th day of 1st lunar month (Feb. 7, 2022) - Birthday of Human. In Chinese mythology mankind was created on this day, so this day is the birthday of humanity. On this day, people will use seven kinds of vegetables and rice to make porridge in celebrating their birthday.
How long is the Chinese holiday?
Chinese Golden Week Holidays China National Day, Spring Festival and Labor Day holidays are three 'golden weeks' in China. They are the three longest holidays in China: 7 days off each for China National Day and the Spring Festival, and 5 days for Labor Day.
What do you bring to Chinese New Year?
5 Popular Chinese New Year Gifts for FriendsTea. Most Chinese people love tea. ... 2. Fruits. Fruit baskets are a common and proper gift for your Chinese hosts, and they can be found in many large shops. ... Home Supplies. ... Alcohol. ... Tobacco. ... Hat, Gloves, Scarf or Clothes. ... Comb or Foot Bath Massager. ... Tonic Foods.More items...•
What does water Tiger represent?
Dr Lin says that as a Zodiac sign, it symbolises power, courage, confidence, leadership and strength. It's also known to be an animal that expels all evil. Because of this, there is often a sense of fear around the tiger, and it can be associated with destruction.
What is the difference between Lunar New Year and Chinese New Year?
Chinese culture, Chinese New Year, and Lunar New Year have the same meaning, although the former is still the preferred term. That is because Chinese New Year goes beyond the commonly-known animal zodiac system and incorporates other cultural and religious elements from ancient Chinese culture.
What should you not do on the first day of Chinese New Year?
Good luck is believed to begin when the clock strikes 12, so you want to be sure not to wipe, sweep, or wash away any of that luck. In the past, tradition held that you left your house unswept for seven days in a row. Today, most families refrain from cleaning only on the first day of the Lunar New Year.
What is the New Year color for 2022?
Pantone said the periwinkle blue with violet red undertones is a “symbol of the global zeitgeist of the moment and the transition we are going through." Pantone announced on Wednesday its new color of the year for 2022: Very Peri — the first hue the company has created for its annual color of the year.
What is the story behind the Chinese New Year?
Chinese New Year has a history of about 3,500 years. Its exact beginning date is not recorded. Some people believe that Chinese New Year originated in the Shang Dynasty (1600–1046 BC), when people held sacrificial ceremonies in honor of gods and ancestors at the beginning or the end of each year.
What happens on the 11th day of Chinese New Year?
Eleventh day: On this day, fathers traditionally invite their son-in-laws to dinner. If there are any leftovers from the birthday celebration of the Jade Emperor, they are eaten on the tenth and eleventh day. Twelfth day: This day is known as guīníng rì (归宁日), when married daughters return home to visit their parents.
How long does China shut down for Chinese New Year?
seven daysDuring CNY, every factory in the country shuts down… Yes, every factory. The official public holiday only lasts for seven days. But, most factories are fully closed for between two and four weeks.
Can I throw rubbish on 2nd day of Chinese New Year?
Custom of the day: Get rid of rubbish The rubbish from the first to the fourth day of the Chinese New Year is considered “wealth”, but after the fifth day, the garbage will turn into a sign of “poverty”.
How long is Chinese New Year holiday?
The legal holiday is seven days long, from the Lunar New Year's Eve to the sixth day of the first lunar month.
Why do Chinese festivals change every year?
The dates change every year because the festival is based on the Chinese Lunar Calendar. The lunar calendar is associated with the movement of the moon, which usually defines traditional festivals like the Chinese New Year (Spring Festival), Lantern Festival , Dragon Boat Festival, and Mid-Autumn Day. The lunar calendar is also associated ...
What is the Chinese zodiac sign for 2022?
The lunar calendar is also associated with 12 animal signs in Chinese zodiac, so every 12 years is regarded as a cycle. 2022 is a Year of the Tiger, while 2023 turns to be a Year of the Rabbit.
When is the New Year's Eve in 2022?
The commonly known New Year calendar counts from the New Year's Eve to the Lantern Festival on February 15th 2022.
When is Chinese New Year 2022?
The Chinese New Year of 2022 falls on February 1st (Tuesday), and the festival will last to February 15th, about 15 days in total. 2022 is a Year of the Tiger according to Chinese zodiac. As an official public holiday, Chinese people can get seven days' absence from work, from January 31st to February 6th.
How long does the Chinese new year last?
As per USA Today, the celebration lasts for 15 days, and on the final day, Spring Lantern Festival takes place.
Meaning behind the year of tiger explored
Shedding more light on the celebration, Dr. Lin, who teaches Chinese Studies at Melbourne University, spoke to ABC.
What does the beast Xi mean?
There is also a saying that the beast is "Xi", rather than Nian. Spring Festival included New Year’s Eve and New Year. Xi is a kind of faint monster, and Nian is not related to the animal beasts in terms of meaning, it is more like a mature harvest. There is no record of the beast in the ancient texts; it is only in Chinese folklore. The word "Nian" is composed of the words "he" and "Qian". It means that the grain is rich and the harvest is good. The farmers review the harvest at the end of the year and are also full of expectations for the coming year.
What is the name of the money given to children at the new year?
In the Qing dynasty, the name ya sui qian (壓歲錢, New Year's Money) was given to the lucky money given to children at the new year. The book Qing Jia Lu (清嘉錄) recorded: "elders give children coins threaded together by a red string, and the money is called Ya Sui Qian.". The name is still used by modern Chinese people.
What did Han Chinese do?
Han Chinese also started the custom of visiting acquaintances' homes and wishing each other a happy new year. In Book of the Later Han, volume 27, a county officer was recorded as going to his prefect's house with a government secretary, toasting the prefect, and praising the prefect's merit.
What is the 10th month of Chinese New Year?
The Classic of Poetry, a poem written during Western Zhou (1045 BC - 771 BC) by an anonymous farmer, described the traditions of celebrating the 10th month of the ancient solar calendar, which was in autumn. According to the poem, during this time people clean millet-stack sites, toast guests with mijiu (rice wine), kill lambs and cook their meat, go to their masters' home, toast the master, and cheer the prospect of living long together. The 10th-month celebration is believed to be one of the prototypes of Chi nese New Year.
What are the heavenly stems in Chinese zodiac?
Alongside the 12-year cycle of the animal zodiac, there is a 10-year cycle of heavenly stems. Each of the ten heavenly stems is associated with one of the five elements of Chinese astrology, namely: Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water.
How often does the Yang Fire Rat cycle repeat?
These produce a combined cycle that repeats every 60 years. For example, the year of the Yang Fire Rat occurred in 1936 and in 1996, 60 years apart. Also, Chinese New Year dates repeat (or almost repeat) every 19 years.
What is the Chinese New Year?
Chinese New Year ( traditional Chinese: 新年, 中國傳統新年; simplified Chinese: 新年, 中国传统新年; pinyin: Xīnnián, zhōngguó chuántǒng xīnnián ), Spring Festival or the Lunar New Year, is the festival that celebrates the beginning of a new year on the traditional lunisolar Chinese calendar.
How many days is Chinese New Year?
That is the reason why the date has a range of 32 days. The Lunar Calendar has been running for over 4000 years.
When is Chinese New Year 2021?
Chinese New Year Dates from 2021 to 2043. Chinese New Year date is different every year. Generally speaking, it distributes between January 21st and February 22nd. Chinese Lunar Calendar is different from the Gregorian calendar, so the New Year dates on the two calendars are different, but, how can the Chinese New Year date itself have ...
What is the dragon dance?
Since the dragon is a Chinese symbol of good fortune, a dragon dance highlights festival celebrations in many areas. This procession involves a long, colourful dragon being carried through the streets by numerous dancers. Light display at a Lantern Festival marking the end of the Chinese New Year.
What is the legend behind Chinese New Year?
One legend is that thousands of years ago a monster named Nian (“Year”) would attack villagers at the beginning of each new year.
Why is Lunar New Year called Lunar New Year?
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.
What was the name of the monster that attacked the villager?
One legend is that thousands of years ago a monster named Nian (“Year”) would attack villagers at the beginning of each new year. The monster was afraid of loud noises, bright lights, and the colour red, so those things were used to chase the beast away.
What is the Chinese New Year tradition?
Among other Chinese New Year traditions is the thorough cleaning of one’s home to rid the resident of any lingering bad luck. Some people prepare and enjoy special foods on certain days during the celebrations.
What is an encyclopedia editor?
Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. ...
When is the Chinese New Year?
Overview of the Chinese New Year, which begins with the first new moon that occurs between January 21 and February 20. Chinese New Year, also called Lunar 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 ...
When is Chinese New Year?
The date of Chinese New Year changes every year, but it always falls between January 21st and February 20th.
What is the Chinese zodiac sign for 2022?
What Is the Zodiac Sign for Chinese New Year 2022? The Chinese zodiac gives each year an animal sign. 2022 is a Year of the Tiger according to the Chinese zodiac, starting from February 1st, 2022 and lasting until January 21th, 2023. 2023 is a Year of the Rabbit, starting from January 22th, 2023, and lasting until February 9, 2024.
What is the zodiac sign for 1948?
E.g.: 1948 is a year of the Rat. If you were born in Chinese calendar 1948 your zodiac sign is the Rat, and you are known as a "Rat". Rat. Ox. Tiger. Rabbit. Dragon. Snake. Horse.
How many days is Lunar New Year in China?
China's public holiday for Lunar New Year is 7 days, from Chinese New Year's Eve to the sixth day of the lunar calendar new year.
How long is Chinese New Year 2022?
Celebrations of Chinese New Year traditionally last for 16 days, starting from Chinese New Year's Eve to the Lantern Festival. In 2022, that is from January 31st to February 15th.
What is the most popular color for Chinese New Year 2022?
Red is the main color for the festival, as red is believed to be an auspicious color. Red Chinese lanterns and red couplet are the most popular decorations. As 2022 will be a year of the Tiger, decorations related to ox will be commonly seen. See the Top 7 Decorations for Chinese New Year.
When do Chinese start cleaning their houses?
Traditional (mostly rural) folk start cleaning their houses from the 23rd of the twelfth lunar month (January 25, 2022).
When Is Chinese New Year 2022?
Again, Lunar New Year 2022 will fall on Tuesday, February 1st, 2022. The date of the Chinese New Year is determined by the Chinese lunar calendar. The date changes every year but is always somewhere in the period from January 21st to February 20th. Read more on Chinese New Year dates from 2022 to 2030.
What is the red couplet for Chinese New Year?
Chinese New Year Red Couplets. Most public decoration is done a month before, but home decoration is traditionally done on Chinese New Year's Eve. As 2022 will be a year of the Tiger, decorations related to tiger will be commonly seen. Look out for red tiger dolls for children and New Year paintings with tiger on.
What happened in 1967 in China?
In 1967 food was rationed, and there was no money! Greetings were full of Communist fervor. Now people eat out for Chinese New Year, send e-money, and greet with instant messages on WeChat (the most popular app in China).
What is the Chinese New Year greeting?
One of the most famous traditional greetings for Chinese New Year is the Cantonese kung hei fat choi, literally ‘greetings, become rich’. In Mandarin that’s gongxi facai /gong-sshee faa-tseye/.
What are the main activities of Chinese New Year?
The main Chinese New Year activities include 1) putting up decorations, 2) eating reunion dinner with family on New Year's Eve , 3) firecrackers and fireworks, and 4) giving red envelopes and other gifts. These four things are introduced below.
Why is the Chinese Spring Festival considered a superstitions festival?
It's believed that what something looks like (color, shape), and what its name sounds like, gives it auspicious or ill-fated properties.
How long has Chinese New Year been around?
The festival has a history of over 3,000 years. Celebrations on lunar New Year's Day can be dated back to the ancient worship of heaven and earth. Over the centuries new traditions were added and celebrations became more entertainment-orientated. Read more on Chinese New Year History.
How long is the Lantern Festival?
The first day of the festival begins on the New Moon sometime each year between January 21st and February 20th. The holiday/festival lasts 16 days from New Year’s Eve to the 15th day of the New Year which also happens to be the Lantern Festival.
Which calendar uses the location of the sun and the moon relative to the Earth to determine the dates on the calendar?
The lunisolar calendar uses the location of the sun and the moon relative to the earth to determine dates on the calendar. The Gregorian calendar, which is the most widely used calendar in the world today uses the location of the sun relative to the earth to determine the dates on the calendar.
What animal is in the Chinese New Year 2023?
Chinese New Year for the year 2023 is celebrated/ observed on Sunday, January 22. This year the animal sign is the Rabbit.
Where do Chinese people celebrate Chinese New Year?
Many countries around the world that have ethnic Chinese people celebrate Chinese New Year including America, Canada, many European countries, India, Pakistan, Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Philippine’s and more. Many of the local communities around the world are called Chinatown like in San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Sydney.
What is the Chinese calendar?
The Chinese calendar was a complex timepiece. Its parameters were set according to the lunar phases as well as the solar solstices and equinoxes. Yin and yang, the opposing but complementary principles that make up a harmonious world, also ruled the calendar.
What animals are in the Chinese New Year?
Each new year was marked by the characteristics of one of the 12 zodiac animals: the rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, sheep, monkey, rooster, dog and pig.
Why is January 1st considered New Year's Day?
It was also a time to bring family together for feasting. With the popular adoption of the Western calendar in 1912 , the Chinese joined in celebrating January 1 as New Year’s Day.
What is the most important festival in Chinese history?
The traditional Chinese New Year was the most important festival on the calendar. The entire attention of the household was fixed on the celebration. During this time, business life came nearly to a stop. Home and family were the principal focuses.
What was the most important thing on New Year's Eve?
Most important was the feasting : On New Year’s Eve, the extended family would join around the table for a meal that included as the last course a fish that was symbolic of abundance and therefore not meant to be eaten.
Why did the Chinese New Year change to Spring Festival?
With its change of name from Chinese New Year to Spring Festival, for some members of the younger generation the holiday has evolved from an opportunity to renew family ties to a chance for relaxation from work.
How long does it take for a Chinese New Year to start?
Chinese New Year typically begins with the new moon that occurs between the end of January and the end of February, and it lasts about 15 days, until the full moon arrives with the Festival of Lanterns.

Overview
Festivities outside China
Chinese New Year is also celebrated annually in many countries which houses significant Chinese populations. These include countries throughout Asia, Oceania, and North America. Sydney, London, and San Francisco claim to host the largest New Year celebration outside of Asia and South America.
Chinese New Year is a national public holiday in many Southeast Asian countries and considere…
Dates in Chinese lunisolar calendar
The lunisolar Chinese calendar determines the date of Chinese New Year. The calendar is also used in countries that have been influenced by, or have relations with, China – such as Japan, Korea, Taiwan, and Vietnam, though occasionally the date celebrated may differ by one day or even one moon cycle due to using a meridian based on a different capital city in a different time zone or different placements of intercalary months.
Mythology
According to tales and legends, Chinese New Year started with a mythical beast called the Nian (a beast that lives under the sea or in the mountains) during the annual Spring Festival. The Nian would eat villagers, especially children in the middle of the night. One year, all the villagers decided to hide from the beast. An older man appeared before the villagers went into hiding and said that he would stay the night and would get revenge on the Nian. The old man put red paper…
History
Before the new year celebration was established, ancient Chinese gathered and celebrated the end of harvest in autumn. However, this was not the Mid-Autumn Festival, during which Chinese gathered with family to worship the Moon. In the Classic of Poetry, a poem written during Western Zhou (1045 BC - 771 BC) by an anonymous farmer, described the traditions of celebrating the 10th month of the ancient solar calendar, which was in autumn. According to the poem, during this ti…
Naming
While "Chinese New Year" remains the official name for the festival in Taiwan, the name "Spring Festival" was adopted by the People's Republic of China instead. On the other hand, the overseas Chinese diaspora mostly prefer the term "Lunar New Year", while "Chinese New Year" remains a popular and convenient translation for people of non-Chinese cultural backgrounds. Along with the Han Chinese in and outside Greater China, as many as 29 of the 55 ethnic minority groups in …
Public holiday
Chinese New Year is observed as a public holiday in some countries and territories where there is a sizable Chinese population. Since Chinese New Year falls on different dates on the Gregorian calendar every year on different days of the week, some of these governments opt to shift working days in order to accommodate a longer public holiday. In some countries, a statutory holiday is added on the following work day if the New Year (as a public holiday) falls on a weekend, as in t…
Festivities
Red couplets and red lanterns are displayed on the door frames and light up the atmosphere. The air is filled with strong Chinese emotions. In stores in Beijing, Shanghai, Wuhan, and other cities, products of traditional Chinese style have started to lead fashion trend[s]. Buy yourself a Chinese-style coat, get your kids tiger-head hats and shoes, and decorate your home with some beautiful red Chinese knots, then you will have an authentic Chinese-style Spring Festival.— Xinwen Lianb…