Chinese New Year Date History

The chinese new year however continues to follow the lunar calendar.

Chinese new year date history. In 1912 the newly formed chinese republic governed by the nationalist party renamed the traditional holiday spring festival to get the chinese people to transition into celebrating the western new year. The lunisolar chinese calendar determines the date of lunar new year. Because of this chinese new year falls on a different date every year typically between january 21st and february 20th.

Each year is also represented by an animal from the chinese zodiac. 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. The origins of this renaming from chinese new year to spring festival are fascinating and not widely known.

What started as a ritual for a good harvest has slowly turned into china s biggest and most important annual holiday. Chinese people have been marking the beginning of a new year with celebration for more than 3 800 years. The history of chinese new year can be dated back to 3 800 years ago.

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 to western calendars. Chinese new year has enjoyed a history of about 3 500 years. Some believe that the practice began as early as the period of emperor yao and shun s 2300 bc reigns.

Its origin was the worshiping activities for harvest in shang dynasty 17th century 1046 bc. Its exact beginning is not recorded. Its celebration is said to have originated from the year end religious ceremony observed during the shang dynasty 1766 bc 1122 bc.

The calendar is also used in countries that have been influenced by or have relations with china such as korea japan 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. It is unclear when exactly the celebration of the new year began in china. Festivities last until the following full moon.