When did the Lunar New Year start?
About Lunar New Year Holiday
Lunar New Year is an important celebration for many Asian cultures, observed each year to mark the beginning of a new calendar. The festivities last for fifteen days and are traditionally celebrated by sharing gifts and consuming traditional foods.
Lunar New Year is a time for family and friends to gather together to share blessings for the new year. It is customary for families to burn incense and to share special New Year's dishes. Gifts are also exchanged, often in the form of red envelopes with money inside. Honoring this tradition is said to bring luck and good fortune in the coming year.
The holidays are also marked by vivid decorations including colorful lanterns, streamers and papercuts which grace the windows and doorways of many homes. Through music and dance, performances take place as a form of entertainment during Lunar New Year. All these traditions serve to make the celebration an exciting time of year.
Lunar New Year – A Comprehensive Guide
The Lunar New Year, or Chinese New Year, is an annual celebration of renewal and hope. It is celebrated every year on the second new moon of the Chinese lunar year. The origins of the Lunar New Year can be traced back over 4,000 years to the Shang Dynasty when it was a sacrificial rite dedicated to the gods and ancestor worship. In ancient times, the new year was marked with a week of feasting and thankfulness for the abundance of the past year, and prayers for a better year to come.
The Lunar New Year, also known as the Spring Festival in China, is celebrated in several countries across Asia and by Asian communities around the world. It marks the beginning of the lunar calendar and is associated with various customs, rituals, and festivities. Here are some of the countries where the Lunar New Year is celebrated:
- China: Often referred to as the Spring Festival, it’s the most significant celebration of the year.
- Vietnam: Known as “Tết” or “Tết Nguyên Đán.”
- South Korea: Called “Seollal.”
- North Korea: Also called “Seollal.”
- Mongolia: Known as “Tsagaan Sar” or the White Moon festival.
- Taiwan: The celebration is similar to that of mainland China.
- Singapore: With a significant Chinese population, Singapore celebrates the Lunar New Year widely.
- Malaysia: The Chinese-Malaysian community observes the holiday.
- Indonesia: Primarily celebrated by the Chinese community in cities like Jakarta.
- Thailand: Celebrated mainly in areas with a large Chinese population, such as Bangkok and Phuket.
- Philippines: Known as “Chinese New Year” and has been declared a special non-working holiday.
- Laos: Known as “Pi Mai” or Lao New Year, though it’s celebrated in April and is influenced by both the Buddhist calendar and lunar calendar.
- Cambodia: Known as “Chaul Chnam Thmey” or Cambodian New Year, celebrated in April but has similarities with lunar new year celebrations.
- Myanmar (Burma): Called “Thingyan,” which is the Burmese New Year Festival and is influenced by lunar calendar cycles, though it’s celebrated in April.
- Tibet (an autonomous region in China): Celebrates “Losar,” the Tibetan New Year.
- Bhutan: Also celebrates a similar festival to Losar.
Besides these countries, Lunar New Year is also celebrated by diaspora communities worldwide. In many western countries, major cities with significant Asian populations might have parades, festivals, and other events to mark the occasion.
Significance and Meaning
Today, the significance of Lunar New Year remains much the same as it has always been. It is a time for celebrating family, for reflection on the past year and for expressing gratitude for parents and ancestors. It is also a time for making new resolutions and plans for the year ahead.
Historically, the Lunar New Year has also been a time of fortune-telling and divination. People believed that certain activities on New Year’s Day would dictate the luck and prosperity of the coming year. Red envelopes of money are given as blessings for a prosperous new year.
Traditions and Celebrations
The Lunar New Year is celebrated throughout East Asia, as well as in many other parts of the world, but the customs and traditions vary from country to country. In all of them, however, the festivities are similar.
Preparations for the Lunar New Year begin before the actual day. Homes are considered to be the harbinger of good luck and need to be cleaned and organized before the holiday. People go out of their way to pay off any debts they may have owed and to prepare lots of delicious food for the celebratory meals that follow.
On the actual day of the Lunar New Year, people dress up in their traditional clothing and put up decorations of all sorts. Prayers are said to bless one another for good luck and fortune and children are often given red envelopes of money as gifts. Firecrackers are set off for good luck and dragon and lion dances are performed.
In China, the New Year celebration is characterized by parades and performances from different parts of the country. People fill up public spaces to observe the spectacular performances and to enjoy the festive atmosphere.
Geographical Spread
The Lunar New Year is celebrated not only in China, but also throughout East and Southeast Asia. In Vietnam, the celebration is known as Tet and in Korea it is known as Seollal. In Japan, it is referred to as Oshogatsu.
Over the years, the Lunar New Year celebration has also gained traction in other parts of the world. In Canada, for example, the Lunar New Year has become one of the most significant public holidays, celebrated in cities such as Vancouver, Toronto, and Montreal.
Modern Day Observations
Today, the Lunar New Year is celebrated with even greater zeal and fervor across the globe. People take the time to honor cultural traditions and celebrate with friends and family.
Virtual celebrations are also becoming increasingly popular. Online stores such as Alibaba’s Taobao and Pinduoduo offer special promotions and deals to attract shoppers during the occasion. Additionally, businesses have taken note of the popularity and organize online events, activities, and promotions to join in the celebration.
Interesting Facts or Trivia
• The Lunar New Year is not celebrated on the same date every year. It usually falls between late January and mid-February depending on the lunar calendar.
• Chinese New Year is the longest and most important celebration in the Chinese calendar. The festival traditionally lasts for 15 days, culminating in the Lantern Festival on the 15th day of the new year.
• The Lunar New Year is a reflection of the Chinese lunar calendar and so is sometimes referred to as the Chinese Lunar New Year.
• Red is the color for good luck and fortune and is the dominant color during Chinese New Year. People wear new clothes in this color and also decorate their homes with banners, paper lanterns, and decorations.
• The Chinese Zodiac is determined by the year of one’s birth and each year has its own animal. 2021 is the year of the Ox.
Conclusion
The Lunar New Year is an ancient festival of renewal and hope. The traditions and celebrations may vary from country to country, but the spirit of the festival remains the same everywhere — to bring prosperity and fortune for the year to come. From festive parades to virtual celebrations, the Lunar New Year is a celebration that is enjoyed all over the world.
How to Say "Lunar New Year" In Different Languages?
- Chinese
- 春節 (zh-Hant-TW)
- Croatian
- Uskrs (hr-HR)
- Finnish
- Uudenvuodenpäivä (fi-FI)
- French
- Nouvel An chinois (fr-FR)
- German
- Neujahr (de-DE)
- Greek
- Πρωτοχρονιά (el-GR)
- Hungarian
- Újév (hu-HU)
- Italian
- Capodanno cinese (it-IT)
- Korean
- 설날 (ko-KR)
- Polish
- Nowy Rok chiński (pl-PL)
- Portuguese
- Ano-Novo Lunar (pt-PT)
- Russian
- Новый год по лунному календарю (ru-RU)
- Serbian
- Нова Година (sr-RS)
- Spanish
- Año Nuevo Chino (es-ES)
Lunar New Year Also Called
The Lunar New Year holiday is also commonly referred to as the Chinese New Year, Spring Festival, or the Lunar Festival.Countries where "Lunar New Year" is celebrated:
- :: Asia
- :: Bhutan
- :: Cambodia
- :: China
- :: Indonesia
- :: Laos
- :: Malaysia
- :: Mongolia
- :: Myanmar
- :: North Korea
- :: Philippines
- :: Republic of China (Taiwan)
- :: Singapore
- :: South Korea
- :: Thailand
- :: Vietnam
FUN FACT:
In year 206 BC, Lunar New Year is celebrated on January 22 for the first time.HOLIDAY CHECK: We strive for accuracy and fairness. But if you see something that doesn't look right, please click here to contact us!
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