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When is Chinese New Year? |  |
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What is Chinese New Year? | |
Chinese New Year, also known as the Lunar New Year or the Spring Festival, marks the first day of the New Year in the Chinese calendar. Traditional celebrations usually occur from Chinese New Year's Eve, which falls on the final day of the final month of the Chinese calendar, through to the Lantern Festival, which occurs on the 15th day of the first month. As a result, Spring Festival is the longest festival or celebration in the Chinese calendar.
The holiday is celebrated by Chinese populations in Mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Phillipines, and in Chinatowns across the world - such as San Francisco Chinatown or New York Chinatown. Chinese New Year traditions include thorough cleaning of the houses, decorating the windows and doors with red paper art, lighting fireworks, long parades, handing out money in red envelopes, and families gathering for their annual reunion dinners.
