What Chinese New Year is

The Spring Festival, the start of the Chinese lunisolar year, celebrated across China and by Chinese communities worldwide, and paralleled by Tet in Vietnam and Seollal in Korea.

It sets off the largest annual human migration on Earth as people travel home for the reunion dinner on new year’s eve.

When it falls, and why the date moves

The countdown at the top of this page is live, and the date beneath it is the next occurrence. The date comes from a lunisolar calendar, which follows the moon but adds a leap month every few years to stay in step with the seasons. That is why it drifts earlier for two or three years and then jumps back.

It is grouped here under Cultural, alongside the other observances that share its calendar.

What is coming up next

Once this date passes, the countdown moves on according to the recurrence rule described above. Calculated lunar dates remain estimates until the relevant calendar or local authority confirms them. See the full list of upcoming events, or use the countdown timer for a duration of your own.