- New moon, late January to mid February
- Up to 15 days, ending with the Lantern Festival
- One of 12 zodiac animals each year
- China, Korea, Vietnam, Singapore, Malaysia
Where it began
In China the festival is called Chunjie, the Spring Festival, because it marks the end of winter on the old farming calendar. It was a time to thank the gods and ancestors for the harvest and pray for the year ahead.
Legend says a beast called Nian came out each new year to frighten villages. People learned that it feared the colour red, loud noise and bright light, so they hung red paper, lit firecrackers and kept lamps burning. The custom of driving away Nian became the noisy, red festival people know today.
Old records show new year rites at the start of the lunar year going back more than two thousand years. Over time each year was linked to one of twelve animals of the zodiac, from the Rat to the Pig.
How it grew over time
Ancient China
Farming families marked the turn of the year with offerings to ancestors and gods of the land.
Han dynasty
The date at the start of the first lunar month became fixed, and new year customs spread across the empire.
Medieval period
Firecrackers, red couplets on doors and the closing Lantern Festival became common customs.
1912
China took up the Western calendar for official use, and the lunar new year was renamed the Spring Festival.
Today
Hundreds of millions of people travel home for the reunion dinner, one of the largest yearly journeys in the world.
How it is celebrated in different places
China
Families share dumplings in the north and rice cakes in the south, and children get red envelopes with money.
Korea
Seollal is a time to wear hanbok, bow to elders and eat tteokguk, a rice cake soup.
Vietnam
Tet brings peach and apricot blossoms into homes and sticky rice cakes to the table.
Singapore and Malaysia
Streets glow with lanterns, lion dances visit shops and friends toss yusheng salad for good luck.
Chinatowns worldwide
Cities such as San Francisco, London and Sydney hold parades with dragons, drums and fireworks.
Lunar New Year moments
Lunar New Year today
Before the day, families clean their homes to sweep away bad luck and hang red decorations. On the eve they gather for a large reunion dinner. The next days are for visiting relatives, giving red envelopes and wishing each other health and wealth.
The season ends on the fifteenth day with the Lantern Festival, when lanterns light up streets and parks.
