Lunar New Year

Lunar New Year is the beginning of a new year based on lunar calendars or, informally but more widely, lunisolar calendars. Typically, both types of calendar begin with a new moon but, whilst a lunar calendar year has a fixed number (usually twelve) of lunar months, lunisolar calendars have a variable number of lunar months, resetting the count periodically to resynchronise with the solar year. The event is celebrated by numerous cultures in various ways at diverse dates. The determination of the first day of a new lunar or lunisolar year varies by culture.
In 2023, the United Nations General Assembly designated the Lunar New Year as a UN holiday, recognizing the spring festival that coincides with the Chinese New Year and is also celebrated in China, Vietnam, Singapore, Malaysia, Japan, and Korea among others. Some states in the US, including California and New York, officially celebrate the Lunar New Year as a public holiday in recognition of the Chinese New Year.
The better-known celebrations include new years based on the (lunar) Islamic calendar and the (lunisolar) Jewish calendar that originated in the Middle East; the (lunisolar) Chinese calendar and Tibetan calendar of East Asia; and the (lunisolar) Buddhist and Hindu calendars of Southeast and South Asia.
'Lunar New Years' and 'Lunisolar New Years' are events celebrated by billions of people across the world on the first new moon of their calendar. Typically, the new year of a purely lunar calendar is determined by the first new moon after the end of a cycle of twelve lunar months (and ignores the solar cycle). The new year of a lunisolar calendar is typically determined by the first, second or even third new new moon after the winter solstice, or after an equinox.
The Islamic New Year (also called the Hijri New Year or 1 Muharram) is determined by the Islamic calendar, a purely lunar calendar. Lunisolar New Year celebrations in East and Central Asia, such as Chinese New Year, are based on a lunisolar calendar. Chinese New Year usually falls on the second new moon after the winter solstice (rarely the third if an intercalary month intervenes). Some Lunisolar New Year celebrations, such as in Korea and Vietnam, generally fall on the same day as the Chinese celebration in late January or February, due to being based on the Chinese calendar or a variation of it. However, celebration customs and holiday durations may differ. Lunisolar New Year celebrations of other cultures such as Burmese, Cambodian, Lao, Sri Lankan, and Thai people are based on the Buddhist calendar and occur in mid-April. Rosh Hashanah, the new year in the (lunisolar) Hebrew calendar, is based on the September equinox.
Although "Lunisolar New Year" would be a more accurate term, the name "Lunar New Year" has been promoted by people from some Asian countries, especially in Vietnam and South Korea, leading to a rise in its use. In the United States of America, "Lunar New Year" is strongly associated with Chinese Americans and "Chinese New Year" is commonly used as a translation by people of non-Chinese backgrounds. Chinese New Year is the official name of the celebration and holiday in some countries such as Singapore, Brunei, and Malaysia. However, the celebration has officially been known as "Spring Festival" (春节/春節 chūnjié) in China since the founding of the Republic of China in 1912 when the previous name, "Yuandan" (The First Day), was assigned to the first day of the Gregorian calendar. Chinese people outside China refer to it as both "Lunar New Year" as well as "Chinese New Year". Since at least the mid-2010s, there has been criticism in the United States regarding the use of the term "Chinese New Year" in an official capacity, particularly by Korean and Vietnamese people. Some American politicians have avoided using the term "Chinese New Year" in preference for "Lunar New Year".
Lunar New Year and Lunisolar New Year celebrations that originated in the Middle East fall on different days:
Most of East Asia celebrates the Lunisolar New Year based on the traditional Chinese calendar. While commonly referred to as "Lunar New Year" in the Western world, it is actually a Lunisolar New Year. Japan observes the Solar New Year, except for the Ryukyu islands which continues to observe the Lunisolar New Year.
Tibetans and Mongols celebrate the Lunisolar New Year in February or early March, based on the closely related Tibetan calendar. Chinese Mongols celebrate Tsagaan Sar according to Chinese calendar. Because the Uyghurs based their dates on the Chinese calendar, and the Mongols and Tibetans adopted the Uyghur calendar, Tibetan and Mongolian New Year can either coincide with the Chinese New Year, or take place around one month later.
The history of the Chinese New Year festival can be traced back to more than 4000 years ago. Before the new year celebration was formed, ancient Chinese gathered around and celebrated at the end of harvest in autumn. However, the celebration is not Mid-Autumn Festival, during which Chinese gathered with family and worship the moon. In the Classic of Poetry, a poem written during Western Zhou (1045 BC – 771 BC), by an anonymous farmer, described how people cleaned up millet stack-sites, toasted to guests with mijiu, killed lambs and cooked the meat, went to their master's home, toasted to the master, and cheered for long lives together, in the 10th month of an ancient solar calendar, which was in autumn. The celebration is believed to be one of the prototypes of the Chinese New Year.
The first dated Chinese new year celebration can be traced back to the Warring States period (475 BC – 221 BC). In Lüshi Chunqiu, an exorcistic ritual called "Big Nuo (大儺)" was recorded being carried out in the ending day of a year to expel illness in Qin. Later, after Qin unified China and the Qin dynasty was founded, the ritual was continued. It evolved to cleaning up houses thoroughly in the preceding days of Chinese New Year.
The first mentioning of the celebration of the start of a new year was recorded in Han dynasty (202 BC – 220 AD). In the book Simin Yueling (四民月令), written by Eastern Han's agronomist and writer Cui Shi (崔寔), the celebration was recorded by stating "The starting day of the first month, is called 'Zheng Ri'. I bring my wife and children, to worship ancestors and commemorate my father." Later he wrote: "Children, wife, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren all serve pepper wine to their parents, make their toast, and wish their parents good health. It's a thriving view." People also went to acquaintances' homes and wished each other a happy new year. In Book of the Later Han Volume 27, 吴良, a county officer was recorded going to his prefect's house with a government secretary, toasting to the prefect and praising the prefect's merit.
Chinese New Year is the grandest ancient traditional festival in China, commonly known as "Guo Nian". This festival means the beginning of spring and the arrival of the new year. The customs of Chinese New Year include sticking Spring Festival couplets, buying New Year's goods, and having family dinner together.
The earliest references to Korean New Year are found in 7th-century Chinese historical works, the Book of Sui and the Old Book of Tang, containing excerpts of celebrations during the New Year in the Silla Kingdom for Korean calendar, which was influenced by the Tang dynasty's calendar system. Korea's own record of new year celebration is found in Samguk yusa (Memorabilia of the Three Kingdoms), compiled in the 13th century. Under the rule of 21st King of Silla, new year was celebrated in 488 AD. Then celebration of Korean New Year have continued to Goryeo and Joseon. By the 13th century, Korean New Year was one of the nine major Korean festivals that included ancestral rites, according to the Korean historical work, the Goryeosa.
As opposed to red envelopes, Korean New Year tends to involve white envelopes.
While there is little recorded history of when Lunar New Year was first observed in Taiwan, it is known that the indigenous population had other ceremonies and did not originally celebrate the festival. It was likely first celebrated by the Hakka or Hoklo populations that migrated from now part of mainland China to the island during the 17th century. Due to Taiwan's population being mostly Han Chinese, its Lunar New Year celebration is very similar to that of mainland China, especially in regards to traditions. In addition, some Lunar New Year's customs during the Ming and Qing Dynasties were preserved in Taiwan. However, in modern day, there can be more of a focus on visiting Buddhist or Taoist temples with extended family members. There are also notable variations to the food that is eaten during this time, such as the consumption of pineapple cakes and other products derived from pineapples or daikon since the latter is a homophone for "good fortune" in Hokkien.
Since 1873, the official Japanese New Year has been celebrated according to the Gregorian calendar, on January 1 of each year, New Year's Day (元日, Ganjitsu). Prior to 1872, traditional events of the Japanese New Year were celebrated on the first day of the year on the modern Tenpō calendar, the last official lunisolar calendar and, prior to Jōkyō calendar, the Chinese version.
In the Ryukyu Islands of Japan, including Okinawa Prefecture and the Amami Islands in Kagoshima Prefecture, people traditionally celebrate Lunar New Year on the first day of the lunar calendar. While the Lunar New Year is not commonly celebrated in Japan, it is celebrated in various Japanese Chinatowns, such as Yokohama Chinatown, Nankin-machi, and Shinichi Chukagai in Nagasaki.
These South Asian traditional lunisolar celebrations are observed according to the local lunisolar calendars. They are influenced by Indian tradition, which marks the system of lunar months in a solar sidereal year. A separate solar new year also exists for those Indian regions which use solar months in a solar sidereal year.
The following are influenced by the Tibetan calendar:
Various lunar calendars continue to be used throughout India in traditional and religious life. However, they are different from the Chinese lunisolar calendar used in East Asia. The two most common lunar new year celebrations in India are Diwali, and Gudi Padwa/Ugadi/Puthandu. Diwali typically falls in October or November, and Gudi Padwa/Ugadi/Puthandu typically falls in April.
In ancient times, the sun's entry into Aries coincided with the equinox. However, due to the earth's axial precession, the sidereal year is slightly longer than the tropical year, causing the dates to gradually drift apart. Today, the sun's entry into Aries occurs around 18 April, according to astronomical definitions. Some traditional calendars are still marked by the sun's actual movements while others have since been fixed to the Gregorian calendar.
The sun's entry into Aries is known as meṣa saṅkrānti in Sanskrit, and is observed as Mesha Sankranti and Songkran in South and South-east Asian cultures.
The following Southeast Asian Lunar New Year celebration is observed according to the local lunisolar calendar and is influenced by Indian Hindu traditions.
The following Southeast Asian Lunar New Year celebration is observed according to the local lunisolar calendar and is influenced by Islamic traditions.
Malaysia is a multi-cultural country. The three dominant ethnic groups in Malaysia are the Malays, the Chinese, and the Indians. Each group has its unique culture and traditional festivals. Public holidays are declared on the three important festivals celebrated by the Malays, Chinese, and Indians, namely Hari Raya Puasa, Chinese New Year and Deepavali respectively.
As timing of these three important festivals fluctuates due to their reliance on the lunar calendars, they occasionally occur close to one another—every 33 years to be exact. Malaysians has named this phenomenon Kongsi Raya (Gongxi Raya), a Malaysian portmanteau, denoting the Chinese New Year and Hari Raya Aidilfitri festivals.
Lunar New Year is officially known as "Chinese New Year" in Singapore. It is celebrated in Singapore primarily by members of the Chinese diaspora, the Peranakans as well as their descendants, who make up three-quarters of the population. They include those who are Hokkien, Cantonese and Teochew from southeastern China; Hainanese from the island province of Hainan; and Hakka, a migrant group spread out all over China. The Peranakans have been in the region for over 400 years and also have mixed Malay and European ancestry. Each ethnic group has its own set of traditions, as well as creating new ones incorporating elements from other cultures like Malays and Indians.
Chinese migrants brought with them their own policies, cultures, and traditions. The Lunar New Year was passed to the Vietnamese people and has stayed relatively intact through the centuries, despite uneasy and often hostile relations between the two countries. The main difference between the Chinese and Vietnamese calendars is that the Vietnamese zodiac replaces the Ox and Rabbit in the Chinese zodiac with the Buffalo and Cat, respectively. However, it is noteworthy that the Tết Nguyên Đán (Spring Festival) which is celebrated in late January or in the first half of February coincides with the onset of Spring in the regions of northern Vietnam and parts of southern China where the ancient Laos–Thailand kingdom of Âu Lạc and some regions of the Baiyue people are located. The celebration marks the beginning of a new planting season, particularly rice. There is also the historical legend of the origin of bánh chưng, which started on the occasion of Tết. All early written records of the country have been destroyed through the millennia by numerous invasions from various groups.
Vietnamese New Year can also be traced back to the Lý dynasty (1009 AD – 1226 AD). Vietnamese people often celebrated their Tết holiday by painting tattoos on themselves, drinking rice liquor, eating betel nuts, and making bánh chưng, as well as pickled onions. During the period of Emperor Lê Thánh Tông (1442 AD – 1497 AD), Tết was considered a significant festival in Vietnam. Today, the rule for determining Vietnamese New Year day is the same with that of China, so the day of Lunar New Year in China and Vietnam mostly coincide. Lucky money is also given on Lunar New Year.
Hobiyee, also spelled Hoobiyee, Hobiiyee and Hoobiiyee, is the new year of the Nisg̱a'a people, celebrated in February or March. It signifies the emergence of the first crescent moon and begins the month Buxw-laḵs. Celebrations of Hobiyee are done by Nisg̱a'a wherever they are located, but the largest celebrations are in Nisg̱a'a itself and in areas with a large Nisg̱a'a presence like Vancouver.
After a decade of advocating for its inclusion by China and also other countries in Asia, the United Nations unanimously passed a resolution at its headquarters in December 2023, to recognize the "Lunar New Year" (based on the lunisolar Chinese calendar), as a floating holiday, at the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly. This means that starting in 2024, UN bodies are encouraged to avoid holding meetings during that day, marking Lunar New Year as the eighth floating holiday that is observed by UN staff internationally.
The United Nations's Lunar New Year holiday, recognizes the spring festival that coincides with the Chinese New Year and is also celebrated in Vietnam, Singapore, Malaysia, Japan, Korea, Canada, and Suriname. Some states in the US, including California and New York, officially celebrate the Lunar New Year as a public holiday coinciding with the Chinese New Year.