🌏 Which countries celebrate and miss Lunar New Year? (1 Viewer)

[Yellow is Okay]

In 2024, Lunar New Year will begin on Saturday, February 10.2 and mark the "year of the dragon". However, for Thailand, 2024 is the "year of Naga" - the mythical snake. The year of the dragon is said to be a time of potential and opportunity.

Lunar New Year is a holiday marking the first new moon of the lunar calendar, a traditional calendar used in many Asian countries, including China, Vietnam, and Korea. In these and other Asian countries, this is one of the most important holidays of the year.

2024 will be the year of the dragon
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Many cultures use the Gregorian calendar to count the passage of time, but others use other means. The Gregorian calendar used by most of the world does not track the phases of the moon and sun, while the lunar calendar does. This is why Lunar New Year falls on different days each year in the solar calendar.

This New Year celebration is also known by many different names in different cultures. For example, in China, it is called Chūn Jié. In Vietnam it is called Tet, Seollal in Korea, Losar in Tibet or Mongolia is Tsagaan Sar...

Each Lunar New Year corresponds to a zodiac animal, which includes many animals based on a 12-year cycle. Lunar New Year 2024 is the "year of the dragon", the fifth sign in the zodiac calendar. People born in the year of the Dragon are said to be confident, independent, charismatic, ambitious, adventurous and fearless. However, there are different zodiac animals depending on each country, such as 2023, in Vietnam it is a cat and in China it is a rabbit.

Recent Dragon years include 2012, 2000, 1988, 1976, 1964 and 1952.

Dragon dance is organized by the Asian community on New Year's Day in Melborne, Australia
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Red is the most popular color during Lunar New Year because it is traditionally associated with happiness, luck, wealth and auspiciousness. It also has its origins in a Chinese holiday – the color red is a tool to ward off evil spirits, so red lanterns and firecrackers are associated with New Year's Day.

Today's Lunar New Year is celebrated all over the world, especially in places where many people of Southeast Asian or East Asian origin live.

However, there are currently only a few countries and territories in Asia that celebrate Lunar New Year, including: China, Vietnam, South Korea, North Korea, Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Mongolia. Some countries also organize Lunar New Year on a large scale, but mainly among the Chinese community in "China Town" areas such as Thailand, Indonesia...

Many places in Asia display fireworks to celebrate Tet
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Chinese​

Immerse yourself in the vibrant traditions of Chinese New Year. From mesmerizing dragon dances to heartwarming family reunions, Chinese New Year is an explosion of culture and tradition in China that visitors won't want to miss.

Lunar New Year would not be complete without a dragon dance performance in this country. You will see these long, magnificent dragons weaving through the streets, controlled by a group of people.

Vietnam​

Lunar New Year in Vietnam begins many days before the new year, when people flock to the streets to shop, decorate or clean their houses... In particular, experiencing the Tet market or flower market is something special like nowhere else. Have. Visitors will find streets filled with festive goods, decorations of traditional Tet dishes, colorful flowers...

During Tet, many Vietnamese people go to pagodas to pray for a prosperous year and good health ahead. It is a peaceful and beautiful experience, offering a glimpse into the spiritual side of Vietnamese culture. Visitors can also adventure with traditional Tet dishes such as banh tet, banh chung...

Nguyen Hue Flower Street is crowded with people during Tet
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Korean​

Lunar New Year is called Seollal in Korea. It was a time when the traditional hanbok was worn proudly. Many Koreans, both young and old, wear these colorful and elegant costumes during festivals.

One of the most important Seollal traditions is Charye. Here, families pay respect to their ancestors by ceremonially setting the table.

Korean people in traditional hanbok costumes
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Japanese​

By the time neighboring countries begin their own New Year celebrations in late January or through February, the Japanese have long finished their New Year holidays. The Japanese welcome the new year on January 1 of the solar calendar and call this New Year's Day (Ganjitsu).

Japanese people go to temples on the first day of the new year according to the solar calendar
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In 1873, as part of the Meiji Restoration, Japan adopted the Gregorian calendar in the hope of catching up with the West. At the time, the prevailing attitude among Japanese elites was to view Asian practices as inferior to the West and as holding back the country's development, including the Lunar New Year. They think that skipping this day will reduce holidays, focus on work, increase national output, and develop the economy...

Today, Lunar New Year is only celebrated in some places where people of Chinese descent live in Japan.

 

[Beijingwalker]

The main holiday of countries and regions
Mainland China, Taiwan, Hong kong, Vietnam, Korea, Singapore
Okinawa Prefecture and the Amami Islands in Japan but not rest of the country, Japan switched to western calendar over a hundred years ago.