The Chinese New Year calendar is a mix of both solar and lunar cycles and it is a centuries-old tradition to celebrate the Chinese New Year in a number of countries around the world from China to North America.
Origins of Chinese New Year Calendar
In ancient times in China when most people lived off the land as farmers, the most noticeable cycle was that of day and night. When people looked to the sky it appeared that the sun stayed more or less the same over time, while the moon was observed to have a cycle of fading and fullness. Eventually it was worked out that there was a rhythm to the moon’s cycle that spanned the course of 29.5 days.
Then when the sundial was invented, the winter/summer solstices and autumn/spring equinoxes were noticed, and together, these events took up 365.25 days.
To deal with the differences between the solar and lunar cycles, the Chinese put in an extra lunar month at certain intervals. Making up the Chinese calendar are 19 solar years in repeating cycles with the whole dived into 130 months made up of 30 days, 110 months made up of 29 days, and 7 months of miscellaneous days as needed.
Chinese Lunar Calendar
Sometimes called the Cycle of Cathay, the Chinese lunar calendar is made up of a cycle of 60 years which in turn are divided into five repetitions of twelve specific years. Each of these years is linked to an animal: rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, sheep, monkey, rooster, dog, pig. These 12 years are known as the Chinese Zodiac and each animal is associated with a number of characteristics that are associated with individuals whom are born in a given year.
When is the Chinese New Year?
When the sun enters Aquarius, it’s the first new moon after that is considered to be the start of the Chinese lunar year. The dates vary each year between January 21 and February 19 when looking at a Western calendar. So unlike the Western New Year celebrated every January 1, the Chinese New Year can fall on any day between or on the above mentioned dates. It ends on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month and is celebrated as the Lantern Festival under the full moon.
The Chinese New Year calendar is an ancient lunisolar system that still holds importance in society today, both in China and around the world. People celebrate the Chinese New Year and from East to West, many also know about the Chinese zodiac based on this calendar system.
Also check out what animal is associated to what years in the Chinese Zodiac Animals and Chinese Zodiac Signs.
Sources:
Bjaalander Welch, Patricia. Chinese New Year. Oxford, New York: Oxford University Press, 1997.
Tami Nicholson - Tami is the Topic Editor for Parenting Methods at Suite101. She is a mother of two with a background in education and journalism.
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