Chinese New Year 2020
More than a fifth of the world celebrates 4,000-year-old festival
2019/12/04
Chinese New Year – or Spring Festival – is celebrated by more than 20% of the people in the world.
It’s the most important holiday in China, and to millions of Chinese who live outside the country and to those of Chinese descent.
In the 21st century, the national holiday begins on the first of the Lunar Calendar. In 2020, Chinese New Year begins on January 25th – the Year of the Rat – and ends on 8th February.
There are many Spring Festival celebrations which take place outside of Asia, and if you have a Chinatown nearby you can get a taste of the parades, lion dances, lantern statues and amazing food which dominates life in China for 15 days.
The most important aspect of Chinese New Year is the family reunion – family members are expected to be home for New Year’s Eve dinner, and this means China witnesses the largest annual migration of people on earth – called the Spring Migration (chunyun (春运), as the elderly typically live in the rural areas, and are joined their by their children.
Most Chinese workers take more than the 15 days that CNY lasts, so many Chinese companies, factories and government institutions close during this period. Stores close for the first five days of the Spring Festival, and some don’t open until the end, so its imperative people stock up beforehand.
Chinese New Year consists of a preparatory phase and two festivals:
- Jan 17th – 24th – Little Year - preparations last until New Year’s Eve
- Jan 25th – 4th Feb – Spring Festival
- 5th Feb – 8th Feb – Lantern Festival
Full calendar:
| Solar date (2020) | Lunar date | Title |
| January 17th | December 23rd | Little Year (小年—xiǎo nián) |
| January 24th |
December 30th | New Year's Eve (除夕—chúxì) |
| January 25th |
January 1st | Spring Festival (春节—chūn jié) |
| January 26th |
January 2nd | To the in-law’s (迎婿日—yíng xù rì) |
| January 27th |
January 3rd |
Day of the Rat (鼠日—shǔ rì) |
| January 28th |
January 4th |
Day of the Sheep (羊日—yáng rì) |
| January 29th |
January 5th |
Break Five (破五—pò wǔ) |
| January 30th | January 6th |
Day of the Horse (马日—mǎ rì) |
| January 31st | January 7th |
Day of the Human (人日—rén rì) |
| February 1st | January 8th |
Day of the Millet (谷日节—gǔ rì jié) |
| February 2nd |
January 9th | Providence Health (天公生—tiān gōng shēng) |
| February 3rd |
January 10th |
Stone Festival (石头节—shí tou jié) |
| February 4th |
January 11th |
Son-in-law Day (子婿日—zǐ xù rì) |
| February 5th - 7th |
January 12th-14th |
Lantern Festival Preperations |
| February 8th |
January 15th |
Lantern Festival (元宵节—yuán xiāo jié) |
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