Last Updated on 2022-01-10 , 3:49 pm
Some say toe-mah-toe, and others say toe-mae-toe.
Some say po-tah-toe, and others say po-tae-toe.
Reader: Who the heck says po-tah-toe?
Some say Chinese New Year, and others say Lunar New Year.
But, in contrast to the first two examples, did you know that Chinese New Year and Lunar New Year don’t actually mean the same thing?
Reader: *gasps*
Different Dates
For one, depending on the country in which it’s celebrated, the Chinese New Year and Lunar New Year can have different dates.
See, the Chinese lunar calendar is not the only lunar calendar out there, as there are many other countries and cultures with their own lunar calendars.
As a result, their new year falls on different dates, and thus they celebrate at different times.
Chinese New Year is based on the Chinese lunar calendar, and the lunar calendar, in case you don’t know, is a calendar based on complete cycles of phases of the Moon.
According to China Highlights, Chinese New Year is typically celebrated on the second new moon following the winter solstice, which usually falls between late-January to mid-February.
As for other cultures with different lunar calendars, such as the Tibetan and Mongolian lunar calendars, their new year celebrations sometimes fall on different dates, because their calendars have different interpretations of the moon cycles.
Usually, the Lunar New Year celebrated by other cultures takes place on the first new moon after the winter solstice instead.
Controversy Over Names
In recent years, disagreements over the appropriate usage of the two terms has also created controversy.
Since other cultures celebrate the festival, they feel that it is not strictly “Chinese”, and calling it as such is insensitive.
Others feel that referring to the festival as Lunar New Year is problematic as well, as it ignores the lunar new year celebrations of other cultures, which fall on different dates.
As you’d expect, no one in China actually calls it “Chinese New Year”; they either call the festivities Spring Festival or Lunar New Year.
It’s a bit like how no one in China calls it Chinese food.
Some countries, like Singapore and the US, call it “Chinese New Year” because the largest segment of their Asian population is Chinese.
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Personal Preference
At the end of the day, it seems like the choice between the two comes down to personal preference.
One could argue that it should be “Chinese New Year” because the festival clearly owes its origins to China.
However, others would assert that the beliefs of different cultures should be acknowledged, and that “Lunar New Year” would be more appropriate.
In Singapore, you’re unlikely to cause offence with either, as they’re used synonymously here.
But if you want to avoid offending someone of a different culture, referring to it as the “Spring Festival” seems to be the safest option.
Featured Image: wong yu liang / Shutterstock.com
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