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When is Lunar New Year?
Lunar New Year falls on Saturday, February 6, 2027.
About Lunar New Year
Lunar New Year is the celebration of the new year on a lunar or lunisolar calendar, marked by many cultures across East and Southeast Asia. It falls on the same day as Chinese New Year, on the new moon that begins the first month of the traditional calendar, between January 21 and February 20. The term Lunar New Year is often used as a broader name than Chinese New Year, because the holiday is not only Chinese. It is also a major festival in Korea, where it is called Seollal, in Vietnam, where it is called Tết, and in other communities, each with its own customs, foods and history.
While the date is shared, the celebrations differ from country to country. In Korea, Seollal centres on family, on honouring ancestors through a memorial rite, and on traditional foods such as tteokguk, a rice cake soup. In Vietnam, Tết is the most important holiday of the year, with special foods such as bánh chưng, a square sticky rice cake, and customs around luck and family. Vietnam occasionally celebrates a day apart from China because its calendar is calculated for a different time zone. Across these cultures the festival shares common threads, including family reunions, respect for older generations, cleaning the home and hopes for good fortune in the year ahead. Many countries in the region give several days of public holiday.
Frequently asked questions
What is Lunar New Year?
Lunar New Year is the start of a new year as measured by a lunar or lunisolar calendar, celebrated by many cultures across East and Southeast Asia. It falls on the new moon that opens the first month of the traditional calendar. The name is often used as a wider term than Chinese New Year, since the holiday is also central to Korea, Vietnam and other communities. Each culture has its own name, customs and foods for the festival, even though they share the same date.
Is Lunar New Year the same as Chinese New Year?
Lunar New Year and Chinese New Year fall on the same day and share a common origin, but they are not quite the same term. Chinese New Year refers specifically to the Chinese celebration, the Spring Festival. Lunar New Year is a broader name that also covers the Korean Seollal, the Vietnamese Tết and other observances of the same new moon. Many people use Lunar New Year precisely to include all these cultures rather than naming only the Chinese festival.
When is Lunar New Year?
Lunar New Year falls on the new moon that begins the first month of the traditional lunisolar calendar. On the Gregorian calendar this places it between January 21 and February 20, with the date changing each year. It is the same day as Chinese New Year in almost every year. Vietnam occasionally celebrates Tết one day apart, because the Vietnamese calendar is calculated for a different time zone, so the new moon can fall on a different calendar day.
How is Lunar New Year celebrated in different countries?
The date is shared, but the celebrations differ. In China the festival is the Spring Festival, with red decorations, reunion dinners and red envelopes. In Korea, Seollal focuses on family, a rite honouring ancestors, and a rice cake soup called tteokguk. In Vietnam, Tết is the biggest holiday of the year, with special cakes such as bánh chưng and many customs around luck. Across all of them the festival centres on family reunions, respect for older generations and hopes for a fortunate year.
What is the difference between Seollal and Tết?
Seollal and Tết are the Korean and Vietnamese names for Lunar New Year, and both fall on the same new moon as Chinese New Year. Seollal, in Korea, places strong emphasis on honouring ancestors through a memorial ceremony and on family gatherings, with foods such as tteokguk. Tết, in Vietnam, is the most important holiday of the Vietnamese year, with its own foods, such as bánh chưng. They are separate cultural traditions that share a calendar date rather than one being a version of the other.