As Chinese New Year is celebrated all over the world, do you know why Chinese New Year changes every year? Have you ever think of it? We all know that Chinese New Year is the season where every family members coming together to wish each other good luck and a prosperous year ahead. But how about why does it change each year? Read here to know more!
While in our Gregorian calendar, we always celebrate New Year on January 1st of every year, however, Chinese New Year celebrates at a different time of every year. It could be on any day of the end of January to mid of February. As for Year of Dog, we celebrate the first day of Chinese New Year at 16th of February.
The reason behind Chinese New Year held at a different time each year is because Chinese New Year is based on the moon while our years correspond to the earth’s cycle around the sun. This is why it is also known as Lunar New Year! As all of you may already know, the lunar month is around two days shorter than a Western month.
On the other hand, Chinese New Year also falls on the second day of the new moon after the winter solstice. A thirteenth month is also added to the year to help it catch up with the seasons. In which means that Chinese New Year always falls between January 21st to February 21st.
Moreover, Chinese New Year celebrations typically last up to 15 days with celebrations and ceremonies worldwide. Some of the celebrations include Bai Tian Gong (Prayer to the God), Yuan Xiao Jie (Chinese Valentine’s Day) and many more.
Now that you know that the reason why Chinese New Year changes every year, do share this information with your friends and families! Happy Chinese New Year!
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Read also: Chinese New Year Desserts That You Shouldn’t Miss!
