Chinese New Year is also known as Lunar New Year, but are they the same thing?
In recent weeks, the correct terminology of the festival has been creating controversy - our readers who use Chinese social media channels like WeChat and Xiaohongshu would be aware of this.
Is it ok to call Chinese New Year “Lunar New Year” or should we stick to calling it “Chinese New Year”?
Some say referring to the festival as “Lunar New Year” ignores the fact that it is a celebration with Chinese origins, while others are saying it is incorrect to call it “Chinese New Year” as several other cultures also celebrate it and so it is not strictly Chinese.
Stop. Breathe. Let’s take a step back and try to figure this out.
Although the exact origins of Lunar New Year are not known, it is widely believed that it began 3500 years ago during the Shang Dynasty (1600-1046 BC). It wasn’t the festive celebration that we have today, but more a period to honour ancestors and gods at the beginning of the lunar calendar year.
The ancient calendar observed the new year on the second new moon after the winter solstice.
Through the years, the festival was widely referred to as Chinese New Year but in 1949, China stopped calling it Chinese New Year and officially renamed it the Spring Festival.
The idea was so it could be an inclusive festival for the people of the entire country to celebrate and feel that they are part of.
Old traditions are disappearing while new traditions are being formed, like the giving of WeChat red envelopes, shopping online and the annual China Central TV Spring Festival Gala.
However “Chinese New Year” remains the official name of the holiday for many countries with a large Chinese diaspora, including Singapore, Malaysia and Brunei.
There are reasons why these countries stick to calling it Chinese New Year and that’s because the population of other cultures that celebrate the festival - like Koreans and Vietnamese - are very small.
Calling it “Chinese” New Year also makes the festival stand out and be distinct to the other ethnic groups who live there such as the Malays, Indians or Eurasians.
Today, Chinese New Year is one of the world’s biggest and most widely celebrated celebrations.
The total world population sits at more than eight billion people, according to a report by the United Nations. Of that, a quarter of it, or more than two billion people celebrate the Chinese New Year or Lunar New Year.
Although around the world, the term “Lunar New Year” is increasingly used, the term “Chinese New Year” remains popular for people of non-Chinese cultural backgrounds and Chinese living in cities where they are the minority.
In Auckland, the Chinese population numbers around 200,000, making it the largest group of Asian people in the city. There are also about 25,000 Koreans, 10,000 Vietnamese - and also a significant number from the Singaporean, Malaysian, Filipino and other migrant communities that take part in the festivities.
Globally Chinese New Year or Lunar New Year is celebrated also in Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom, USA, South Africa, Peru and even Mauritius.
China’s population alone is 1.4 billion making up about 18% of the world’s population. The Lunar New Year is a public holiday in Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, The Philippines, South Korea, Vietnam and of course China.
So because of how the festival has evolved in the 3500 years since it began, Chinese New Year and Lunar New Year are not one and the same.
When a new year event where Chinese traditions and culture are observed and celebrated - such Chinese restaurants promoting auspicious Chinese dishes or a festival focused on lion dance and dragon dance, then it can be referred to as “Chinese New Year”.
But when new year events, like Auckland Council’s Lunar New Year 2025 or Heart of the City’s Lunar New Year Walking Food Tours have Korean and Vietnamese traditions and food involved, then the term “Lunar New Year” should be used as it encompasses all who celebrate the new year according to a lunar calendar.
Calling it “Chinese New Year” in these instances can appear quite insensitive and offensive because each of the cultures have their own unique beliefs, traditions and celebrations.
The way the festival is celebrated in each Asian country is different, and many are unique to the country’s own cultural identity.
In China, the festival is celebrated as Chūnjié or “Spring Festival”, where a new 12-year cycle of the Chinese animal zodiac starts.
Popular activities include reunion dinners with a spread of auspicious food, putting up lanterns, setting firecrackers and giving red envelopes.
In Vietnam, the festival is celebrated as Tet, and they have their own traditional cake called bánh chưng. They decorate their houses with peach blossoms called hoađào and yellow Mai flowers called hoamai.
The Lunar New Year is called Seollal in South Korea and during the festival, Koreans will wear hanbok, the traditional Korean clothing and perform ancestral rites, worship elders, and eat traditional food such as tteokguk and jeon.
Chinese New Year and Lunar New Year can also have different dates, due to the different interpretation of the lunar calendar, such as in Mongolia.
Whatever the case, Chinese New Year has had a huge influence on other Lunar New Year observances - from the use of the colour red, firecrackers, ancestor worship and the various forms of dragon and lion dances.
So despite the difference there are many similarities largely because of China’s influence worldwide through the ages.
So should we call it Lunar New Year or Chinese New Year?
Here’s the advice from chinahiglights.com
“When speaking about Chinese New Year to Chinese people or someone from a culture that doesn't traditionally celebrate a different lunar New Year, it is safe to say "Chinese New Year" or "Lunar New Year" or "Spring Festival",” it said.
“When speaking to a person with other Asian heritage about their New Year, it is best to say "Lunar New Year" or use culture-specific or local terms. For example, with Vietnamese people, use "Vietnamese New Year", or even better, say "Tết" to show respect and knowledge.”
Lunar New Year or Chinese New Year is a joyous festival, so let’s embrace it as such, and don’t let it get on our skin too much.
Be happy, share and celebrate this - one of the world’s biggest festivals - whatever it’s called!
