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Culture
Chinese New Year
Chūnjié
The short answer
Chinese New Year, or the Spring Festival (春節 (春节)), starts the lunisolar year between 21 January and 20 February. It means reunion dinners, red envelopes, firecrackers and the world's largest annual human migration.
Where
China/Global Diaspora
Category
Festival/Holiday
When
Jan/Feb
Origin
Ancient (Shang Dynasty)
What it is
The most important festival celebrating the beginning of a new year on the traditional lunisolar Chinese calendar.
Why it matters
A time for family reunions, honouring ancestors and giving red envelopes (紅包 (红包), hóngbāo) with money for good luck.
Fun fact
UNESCO inscribed the Spring Festival as Intangible Cultural Heritage in December 2024.
Kungfucius says: Forty days of travel chaos so relatives can ask why you are still single.
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