New Year Celebrations Across East Asia

Our current New Year’s Day is based on the Gregorian calendar, introduced by Pope Gregory XIII in 1582. Westward expansion made it the de facto start of the New Year, but cultures around the world still celebrate their own holidays based on regional calendars and traditions. The Lunar New Year, based on the Chinese lunisolar calendar, is one of the most famous, celebrated across East Asia.

Vietnamese New Year

Also known as Têt Nguyên Dán, meaning Feast of the First Morning of the First Day, the Vietnamese celebrate the New Year by cleaning the house and making pilgrimages for a family reunion.

Japanese New Year

Japan adopted the Gregorian calendar in 1873, making the official Japanese New Year Jan. 1, though people still celebrate the traditional Koshōgatsu, or Little New Year, by eating the traditional meal of rice gruel and azuki beans.

Korean New Year

Sinwon is one of the most important holidays for Korea. It lasts three days and is a common holiday for travel. In 2016, a reported 36 million South Koreans traveled to visit family.

Mongolian New Year

Mongolians and people of the Arctic celebrate Tsagaan Sar one month after the first new moon after winter solstice. It is one of the most important days for Mongolian culture, though traditions vary from region to region.

Chinese New Year

The most famous of the Lunar New Years, the Chinese are known to celebrate the holiday for 15 days with plenty of fireworks, lanterns and red envelopes of money to symbolize prosperity.

Elsewhere

Lunar New Year traditions stretch across the Asian continent. South and Southeast Asian cultures hold similar festivals like Songkran in Thailand and Pohela Boishakh in Bengal. Rosh Hashanah and the Islamic New Year follow similar traditions, placing the holiday on their own lunar and lunisolar calendars.