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Holidays and Observances - Why Is The Chinese New Year Not Celebrated On January 1?

Why is the Chinese New Year not celebrated on January 1?

For more than a thousand years, the Chinese people have celebrated the new year sometime between January 21 and February 19. The Chinese calendar is different from the calendar used in the Western world. The Chinese calendar is based on the phases of the moon: A new moon (when no moon is visible) marks the beginning of a new month and a full moon marks the middle of the month. In ancient times, the Chinese New Year celebration took place after the crops were harvested in the fall and before new crops were planted in the spring. For the modern New Year's festival, Chinese families clean house and decorate it with flowers, red banners, and scrolls with poems written on them. During the weeklong celebration, the Chinese eat special foods, give gifts of good-luck money, and light firecrackers. Community events include watching performances of opera,...

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