Chinese New Year is the Chinese festival, known in China as the Spring Festival. Lunar New Year is the wider name: it covers the Chinese festival and the new year celebrations held at the same time in other countries, such as Tết in Vietnam and Seollal in Korea. Use the specific name when you know it, and "Lunar New Year" when you are addressing a mixed group.
What does each name mean?
| Name | What it refers to |
|---|---|
| Chinese New Year | The new year festival of Chinese communities worldwide |
| Spring Festival (Chunjie, 春节) | The official name of the same festival in China |
| Tết | The Vietnamese new year |
| Seollal | The Korean new year |
| Lunar New Year | An umbrella term for all of the above |
In China, the holiday came to be called the Spring Festival in the 20th century, after the country adopted the Western calendar for official use in 1912 and January 1 became the official New Year. The name comes from the traditional calendar, in which the new year arrives around the "Beginning of Spring," the first of the 24 seasonal markers of the year. "Chinese New Year" is the name that took hold in English.
Why is it called "lunar"?
Because the traditional calendar behind it follows the moon. Each month begins on a new moon, and the year begins on the new moon that falls between January 21 and February 20.
Strictly speaking, the calendar is lunisolar, since extra months are added from time to time to keep it in step with the sun and the seasons. "Lunisolar New Year" would be more exact, but nobody says it.
One caution about the word. Not every new year reckoned by a lunar calendar falls on this date. The Tibetan and Mongolian new years may coincide with it or come about a month later, and the Islamic new year, which follows a purely lunar calendar, moves through all the seasons. In everyday American and British usage, "Lunar New Year" means the East Asian new year in late January or February.
Who celebrates, and what is it called?
The same new moon starts the year in several traditions.
- China and Chinese communities worldwide: Chinese New Year or Spring Festival. Fifteen days of celebrations, ending with the Lantern Festival.
- Vietnam: Tết, short for Tết Nguyên Đán. Its signature dish is bánh chưng, a square cake of sticky rice.
- Korea: Seollal. The day begins with tteokguk, a soup of sliced rice cakes; eating it is said to add a year to your age.
These are separate holidays that share a date. Each has its own foods, clothing, greetings and family customs.
Japan is a notable exception in the region. It moved its new year to January 1 when it adopted the Western calendar in 1873.
Is the date always the same?
Nearly always. Because the new year is tied to a new moon, and each country reckons the moment in its own time zone, the date can now and then differ by a day. 2027 is one of those years.
| Country | New Year's Day 2027 |
|---|---|
| China and Hong Kong | Saturday, February 6 |
| Vietnam | Saturday, February 6 |
| South Korea | Sunday, February 7 |
The new moon occurs at 11:56 p.m. on February 6 in Beijing. In Seoul, an hour ahead, it is already 12:56 a.m. on February 7. The full schedule is on our Chinese New Year 2027 calendar page.
Is the zodiac the same?
The 12-year animal cycle is shared across the region, and the years line up: 2027 is a Goat year in all of these traditions. A few animals differ. The Vietnamese zodiac has a Cat where the Chinese one has a Rabbit, and a Water Buffalo in place of the Ox. See Chinese New Year animals for the full list.
Which name should you use?
A simple rule covers most situations: be as specific as your knowledge allows.
- You know the person celebrates the Chinese festival. "Happy Chinese New Year" is right, and so is "Happy Lunar New Year."
- You know they celebrate Tết or Seollal. Use that name, or "Lunar New Year." Calling a Vietnamese or Korean family's holiday "Chinese New Year" is the one choice to avoid.
- You are writing to a mixed group, such as an office, a school class or a customer list. "Lunar New Year" includes everyone.
- You are talking about the Chinese traditions specifically, such as red envelopes or lion dances. "Chinese New Year" is the accurate term.
That is also how the names are used on this site: Chinese New Year for the Chinese festival and its customs, Lunar New Year for the season as a whole.
Why do people disagree about the name?
Because both names leave something out. "Chinese New Year" can erase Vietnamese, Korean and other celebrations when it is used for all of them. "Lunar New Year" is felt by some Chinese speakers to blur the origin of the calendar and of customs that are specifically Chinese. Usage also differs by country: "Lunar New Year" has gained ground in the United States, while Singapore and Malaysia use "Chinese New Year" officially.
You do not have to settle that argument to be polite. Naming someone's holiday the way they name it is enough.
How is it recognized in the US and beyond?
Official recognition has grown in recent years, mostly under the wider name.
- California made Lunar New Year a state holiday under a law passed in 2022.
- The United Nations has listed Lunar New Year as a floating holiday since 2024.
- UNESCO added the Spring Festival, described as the social practices of the Chinese people in celebration of the traditional new year, to its list of intangible cultural heritage in 2024.
For what to say on the day, see Chinese New Year greetings. For the year ahead, see Year of the Goat 2027.