The festival proper begins on the first day of the first lunar month in the Chinese calendar and ends on the 15th, in which this day is called Lantern Festival or Shi Wu Wan (十五晚/元宵节) in Mandarin or Chap Goh Mei in Hokkien.

Chinese New Year's Eve is known as Chúxì (除夕). Chu literally means "change" and xi means "eve".

Celebrated internationally in areas with large populations of ethnic Chinese, Chinese New Year is considered a major holiday for the Chinese, and has had a strong influence on the new year celebrations of its neighbours. These include Japanese, Koreans, Miao (Chinese Hmong), Mongolians, Vietnamese, Tibetans, the Nepalese and the Bhutanese (see Losar).

Chinese New Year is also the time of the the largest human migration, when overseas Chinese all around the world travel home to have reunion dinners with their families on Chinese New Year's eve.

	New Year dates

The Chinese New Year dates are determined by the lunisolar Chinese calendar, which is also used in countries that have adopted or have been influenced by Han culuture, notably the Koreans, the Japanese, the Tibetans, the Vietnamese and the pagan Bulgars.

Chinese New Year starts on the first day of the new year containing a new moon (some sources include New Year's Eve) and ends on the Lantern Festival fourteen days later. This occurs around the time of the full moon as each lunation is about 29.53 days in duration. In the Gregorian calendar, the Chinese New Year falls on different dates each year, on a date between January 21 and February 20. In traditional Chinese Culture, Lichun is a solar term marking the start of spring, which usually falls on either February 4 or 5.

The dates for the Spring Festival from 1996 to 2019 (in the Gregorian calendar) are listed below, along with the year's presiding animal zodiac and its earthly branch. The names of the earthly branches have no English counterparts and are not the Chinese translations of the animals.

Animal Branch Dates

Rat 子 Zi February 19 1996 February 7 2008
Ox 丑 Chou February 7 1997 January 26 2009
Tiger 寅 Yin January 28 1998 February 14 2010
Rabbit 卯 Mou February 16 1999 February 3 2011
Dragon 辰 Chen February 5 2000 January 23 2012
Snake 巳 Si January 24 2001 February 10 2013
Horse 午 Wu February 12 2002 January 31 2014
Goat 未 Wei February 1 2003 February 19 2015
Monkey 申 Shen January 22 2004 February 8 2016
Rooster 酉 You February 9 2005 January 28 2017
Dog 戌 Xu January 29 2006 February 16 2018
Boar 亥 Hai February 18 2007 February 5 2019

Many non-Chinese confuse their Chinese birth-year with their Gregorian birth-year. As the Chinese New Year starts in late January to mid February, the Chinese year dates from 1 January until that day in the new Gregorian year remain unchanged from the previous Gregorian year. For example, the 1989 year of the snake began on 6 February 1989. The year 1990 is considered by some people to be the year of the horse. However, the 1989 year of the snake officially ended on 26 January 1990. This means that anyone born from January 1 to 25 January 1990 was actually born in the year of the snake rather than the year of the horse.

Many online Chinese Sign calculators do not account for the non-alignment of the two calendars, incorrectly using Gregorian-calendar years rather than official Chinese New Year dates.

See Chinese astrology for a list of Chinese New Year dates for every year from 1900 to 2020, covering one full sexagesimal cycle (1924–1983) and portions of two others.

	Four main roles

History

It is unclear when the beginning of the year was celebrated before the Qin Dynasty. It is possible that the beginning of the year began with month 1 during the Xia Dynasty, month 12 during the Shang Dynasty, and month 11 during the Zhou Dynasty in China. We know that intercalary months, used to keep the lunar calendar synchronized with the sun, were added after month 12 during both the Shang Dynasty (according to surviving oracle bones) and the Zhou Dynasty (according to Sima Qian). The first Emperor of China Qin Shi Huang changed the beginning of the year to month 10 in 221 BC. Whether the New Year was celebrated at the beginning of month 10, of month 1, or both is unknown. In 104 BC, Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty established month 1 as the beginning of the year, where it remains.

	Myths

According to legend, in ancient China, the nián (年), a man-eating beast from the mountains, could silently infiltrate houses to prey on humans.

The people later learned that the nian was sensitive to loud noises and the color red, so they scared it away with explosions, fireworks and the liberal use of the color red. These customs led to the first New Year celebrations. Guò nián which means to celebrate the new year, literally means the passing of the nian beast.

	Public Holiday

Chinese New Year is observed as a public holiday in a number of countries and territories where a sizeable Chinese population resides.

Since Chinese New Year falls on different dates on the Gregorian calendar every year on different days of the week, some of these governments opt to shift working days in order to accommodate a longer public holiday. Also like many other countries in the world, a statutory holiday is added on the following work day when the New Year falls on a weekend.

China * The first seven days.

Taiwan * The first five days

Hong Kong and Macau * The first three days

Malaysia and Singapore * The first two days

Brunei and Indonesia * The first day

Other countries

The Vietnamese also celebrate their New Year, or Tết, on the same day as the Chinese calendar, with a 3-day public holiday. However, because of the time difference between Hanoi and Beijing (China), the Tết may differ from the Chinese calendar by a day every 22nd or 23rd year. Korea now follows the Gregorian calendar for business and academic purposes, but the lunar new year is still marked with a three-day holiday, compared to a single day of holiday on January 1st. The Japanese now celebrate their New Year (shōgatsu) on 1 January, with the first three days being holidays.

Other Official Acknowledgements

A few countries around the world regularly issue postage stamps and/or numismatic coins to commemorate Chinese New Year. Although Chinese New Year is not institutionalized as public holiday, these countries recognize the significant number of their citizens who are of Chinese origin. The countries and territories that do so include Australia, Canada, Christmas Island, El Salvador, France, New Zealand, United States, and the Philippines.

	Festivities

The Chinese Year celebrations are marked by visits to kin, relatives and friends, and the liberal use of the color red.

People wear new clothing. Red packets are given to juniors and children by the married and elders.

Days before the new year

On the days before the New Year celebration, Chinese families give their home a thorough cleaning, known as 'spring cleaning'. It is believed the cleaning sweeps away bad luck of the preceding year and makes their homes ready for good luck. Brooms and dust pans are put away on New Year's Eve and the first day so that luck cannot be swept away. Some people give their homes, doors and window-panes a new coat of red paint. Homes are decorated with paper cutouts of Chinese auspicious phrases and couplets.

Reunion dinner

A reunion dinner is held on New Year's Eve where members of the family, near and far, get together for celebration. The venue will usually be in the home of the most senior member of the family. The New Year's Eve dinner is very sumptuous and traditionally includes chicken and fish. Fish (魚, yú) is included, but not eaten up completely (and the remainder is stored overnight), as the Chinese phrase 年年有餘 (nián nián yǒu yú), which means "may there be surpluses every year", sounds the same as "may there be fish every year."

Buddha's delight (Traditional Chinese: 羅漢齋; Simplified Chinese: 罗汉斋; pinyin: luóhàn zhāi), an elaborate vegetarian dish traditionally comprising 18 ingredients, is often served by Chinese families on the first day of the New Year. A type of black hair-like moss, pronounced "fat choy" in Cantonese, is also featured in Buddha's delight and other dishes, since its name sounds similar to "prosperity.". Hakkas usually serve kiu nyuk (扣肉) and ngiong tiu fu.

Most Northerners serve dumplings as the main dish in this festive season and many Chinese around the world do the same. It is believed that dumplings (餃子, jiǎozi) resemble ancient Chinese gold ingots (金元寶, pinyin, jīn yuán bǎo). Mandarin oranges are the most popular and most abundant fruit during Chinese New Year -- jin ju (金橘子) or kam (金) in Cantonese.

Red packets for the immediate family is sometimes distributed during the reunion dinner. These packets often contain money in certain numbers that reflect good luck and honorability.

First day of the new year

The first day is for the welcoming of the deities of the heavens and earth. Many people, especially Buddhists, abstain from meat consumption on the first day because it is believed that this will ensure longevity for them.

Most importantly, the first day of Chinese New Year is a time where families will pay a visit to their oldest and most senior member of their extended family, usually their parents, grandparents or great-grandparents.

Some families may invite a Lion dance troupe as a symbolic ritual to usher in the Lunar New Year as well as to evict bad spirits from the premises.

Second day of the new year

The second day of the Chinese New Year is for married daughters to visit their birth parents. Traditionally, daughters who have been married may not have the opportunity to visit their birth families frequently.

Third day and fourth of the new year

The third day of Chinese New Year is generally accepted as an inappropriate day to visit relatives due to the following schools of thought. People may subscribe to one or both thoughts.

1) It is known as "chì kǒu" (赤口), meaning that it is easy to get into arguments. It is suggested that the cause could be the fried food and visiting during the first two days of the New Year celebration.

2) Families who had an immediate kin deceased in the past 3 years will not go house-visiting as a form of respect to the dead. The third day of the New Year is allocated to grave-visiting instead. Some people conclude it is inauspicious to do any house visiting at all.

Fifth day of the new year

In northern China, people eat Jiǎo zi (饺子) (dumplings) on the morning of Po Wu. This is also the birthday of the Chinese god of wealth. In Taiwan, businesses traditionally re-open on this day, accompanied by firecrackers.
Seventh day of the new year
The seventh day, traditionally known as renri, the common man's birthday, the day when everyone grows one year older.

It is the day when tossed raw fish salad, yusheng, is eaten. People get together to toss the colorful salad and make wishes for continued wealth and prosperity. This is a custom primarily among the Chinese in Southeast Asia, such as Malaysia and Singapore, but not commonly practised by Chinese in other parts of the world. For many Chinese Buddhists, this is another day to avoid meat.

Ninth day of the new year

The ninth day of the New Year is a day for Chinese to offer prayers to the Jade Emperor of Heaven (天公) in the Taoist Pantheon.

Additionally this day is heralded as the New Year of the Hokkiens. Come midnight of the eighth day of the new year, the Hokkiens will offer thanks giving prayers to the Emperor of Heaven. Offerings will include sugarcane as it was the sugarcane that had protected the Hokkiens from certain extermination generations ago. Tea is served as a customary protocol for paying respect to an honoured person.

Fifteenth day of the new year

The fifteenth day of the new year is the last day of the traditional New Year's celebrations. It is celebrated as Yuánxiāo jié (元宵节), the Chinese Valentine's. otherwise known as Chap Goh Mei in Fujian dialect. Tangyuan a sweet glutinous rice ball brewed in a soup, is eaten this day. Depending on locality, the same day may also be celebrated as the Lantern Festival, or as the Chinese Valentine's Day.

	Common New Year Practices

Red Packets

Traditionally, red packets (Mandarin: 'hóng bāo' (紅包); Hokkien: 'ang pow' (POJ: âng-pau); Hakka: 'fung bao'; Cantonese: 'leih síh' (利市)) are passed out during the Chinese New Year's celebrations, from married couples or the elderly to unmarried juniors. It is common for adults to give red packets to children. Red packets are also known as 压岁钱 (Ya Sui Qian lit age suppressing money) during this period.

The red envelopes always contain money, usually varying from a couple of dollars to several hundred. The amount of money in the red packets should be of even numbers, as odd numbers are associated with cash given during funerals (白金 : Bai Jin)

New Year Markets

Markets are set up near the New Year especially for vendors to sell New Year-related products. These usually open-air markets feature floral products, toys, clothing, for shoppers to buy gifts for new year visitations as well as decor for their homes. The practice of shopping for the perfect plum tree is not dissimilar to the Western tradition of buying a Christmas tree.

Firecrackers

Firecrackers come individually or strung on a long string. They are cased in red paper, as red is auspicious. The loud popping noise created by the explosion is thought to scare away evil spirits.

In Singapore, firecrackers have been banned due to safety reasons since 1972. However, in 2003, the government allowed firecrackers to be let off during the festive season. At the Chinese New Year light up in Chinatown, at the stroke of midnight on the first day of the Lunar New Year, firecrackers are let-off under controlled conditions by the Singapore Tourism Board. Other occasions where firecrackers are allowed to be let off are determined by the tourism board or other government organizations. However, they are not allowed to be commercially sold.

Malaysia banned firecrackers for the same reason.

Fireworks

Fireworks are banned in Hong Kong for safety reasons, but the government will put on a fireworks display in Victoria Harbour on the second day of the Chinese New Year. Similar displays are also held in many other cities in and outside China.

Clothing

Red clothing is worn throughout the Chinese New Year, as red will scare away evil spirits and bad fortune. Also, people typically wear new clothes from head to toe to symbolize starting anew in the new year.

Shou Sui

守岁(守歲)（Shou Sui) is when members of the family gather around throughout the night after the reunion dinner and reminisce about the year that has passed while welcoming the year that has arrived.

“一夜连双岁，五更分二年” means that the night of New Year's eve (which is also the morning of the first day of the New Year) is a night that links 2 years. 五更 (Wu Geng - a time period in Chinese time keeping roughly equivalent to 0300 - 0500 hrs) is the time that separates 2 years.

Some believe that children who 守岁 (Shou Sui) will increase the longevity of the parents.

Decorations

Red diamond-shaped banners with the character 福 (pinyin: fú), or "auspiciousness" are displayed around the house and at the fronts of doors. This sign is usually seen hung upside down, since the Chinese word 倒 (pinyin: dǎo), or "upside down", sounds similar as 到 (pinyin: dào), or "arrive". Therefore, it symbolizes the arrival of luck or happiness.

The following are popular floral decorations for the New Year and are available at new year markets.

* Peach blossom (symbolises luck)
* Plum blossom (symbolizes luck)
* Kumquat plants (symbolises prosperity)
* Narcissus
* Chrysanthemum (symbolises longevity)
* Bamboo (A plant used for anytime of year.)

Foods

Several foods are eaten to usher in wealth, happiness, and good fortune. Several of the Chinese food names are homophones for words that also mean good things.

* Fish - Is usually eaten on the eve of Chinese New Year. The Cantonese pronunciation of fish makes it a homophone for "more than enough", or "extra".
* Dumplings - Eaten traditionally because the preparation is similar to packaging luck inside the dumpling, which is later eaten.
* Candy
* Kwatji/ sunflower, pumpkin or melon seeds
* Turnip/Taro cakes

Superstitions during the New Year period

The following is a list of beliefs that vary according to dialect groups / individuals.

* Buying a pair of shoes is considered bad luck. The word "shoes" is a homophone for the word for "rough" in Cantonese.
* Buying a pair of pants is considered bad luck. The word "pants" is a homophone for the word for "bitter" in Cantonese. (Although some perceive it to be positive as the word 'pants' in Cantonese could be a homophone for the word for "wealth".)
* A hair-cut is considered bad luck. The word "hair" is a homophone for the word for "prosperity". Thus "cutting hair" could be perceived as "cutting away your prosperity" in Cantonese.
* Candy is eaten to ensure the consumer a "sweet" year.
* Sweeping the floor is considered bad luck, as it will sweep away the good fortune and luck for the new year; in the same way that having a bath will wash away the good fortune.
* Talking about death is inappropriate for the first few days of Chinese New Year, as it is considered inauspicious as well.
* Buying books is bad luck, because it is a homonym to the word "lose".
* Opening windows and/or doors is considered to 'bring in' the good luck of the new year.
* Switching on the lights for the night is considered good luck to 'scare away' ghosts and spirits of misfortune that may compromise the luck and fortune of the new year.

	New Year Parade in San Francisco Chinatown

In 1849, with the discovery of gold and the ensuing California Gold Rush, over 50,000 people had come to San Francisco to seek their fortune or just a better way of life.

Among those were many Chinese, who had come to work in the gold mines and on the railroad. By the 1860’s, the Chinese were eager to share their culture with those who were unfamiliar with it. They chose to showcase their culture by using a favorite American tradition - the Parade. Nothing like it had ever been done in their native China. They invited a variety of other groups from the city to participate, and they marched down what today are Grant Avenue and Kearny Street carrying colorful flags, banners, lanterns, and drums and firecrackers to drive away evil spirits.

	Greetings

The Chinese New Year is often accompanied by loud, enthusiastic greetings, often referred to as 吉祥話 (Jíxiánghùa), or loosely translated as auspicious words or phrases.

Some of the most common examples may include:

Happy new year

; Hokkien POJ: Sin-nî khòai-lo̍k; Cantonese: Sun nin fai lok. A more contemporary greeting reflective of western influences, it literally translates from the greeting "Happy new year" more common in the west. But in northern parts of China, traditionally people say instead of , to differentiate it from the international new year. And 過年好 can be used from the first day to the fifth day of Chinese new year.

Congratulations and be prosperous

; Hokkien Keong hee huat chye (POJ: Kiong-hí hoat-châi); Cantonese: Gung hei fat choi; Hakka: Kung hei fat choi, which loosely translates to "Congratulations and be prosperous". Often mistakenly assumed to be synonymous with "Happy new year", its usage dates back several centuries. While the first two words of this phrase had a much longer historical significance (legend has it that the congratulatory messages were traded for surviving the ravaging beast of Nian, although in practical terms it may also involve surviving the harsh winter conditions), the last two words were added later as ideas of capitalism and consumerism became more significant in Chinese societies around the world. The saying is now commonly heard in English speaking communities for greetings during Chinese New Year in parts of the world where there is a sizable Chinese-speaking community, including overseas Chinese communities that have been resident for several generations, relatively recent immigrants from Greater China, and those who are transit migrants (particularly students).

Other greetings

Numerous other greetings exist, some of which may be exclaimed out loud to no one in particular in specific situations. For example, as breaking objects during the new year is considered inauspicious, one may then say 歲歲平安 (Suìsuì píng'ān) immediately, which means everlasting peace year after year. 歲 (Suì, meaning "age") is homophonous with 碎 (meaning "shatter"), in demonstration of the Chinese love for wordplay in auspicious phrases. Similarly, 年年有餘 (Niánnián yǒuyú), a wish for surpluses and bountiful harvests every year, plays on the word yú to also refer to 魚 (meaning fish), making it a catch phrase for fish-based Chinese new year dishes and for paintings or graphics of fish that are hung on walls or presented as gifts.

These greetings or phrases may also be used just before children receive their red packets, when gifts are exchanged, when visiting temples, or even when tossing the shredded ingredients of yusheng particularly popular in Malaysia and Singapore.