The Lunar New Year is observed on February 12, and multiday, even multiweek festivals begin around the world today. The celebrations around this event include many different local practices and are known by many names around the world, including the Spring Festival; the Lantern Festival, Tsagaan Sar (Mongolia); Tet (Vietnam); Seolial (Korea); Koshogatsu or “Little New Year” (Japan); Chinese New Year (mainly in North America). People in Canada, especially people of East Asian descent, will join with people around the world to celebrate new year and look forward to the Year of the Ox.
The lunar calendar, based on the cycles of the moon, does not match up with the solar calendar, based on the orbit of the earth around the sun. Therefore holidays based on the lunar calendar will change dates from year to year on the Gregorian Calendar, the solar calendar most commonly used by Canadians and people around the world for most scheduling related to business, politics and science, if not cultural and religious observances.
Find out more about Lunar New Year:
Lord Tweedsmuir Secondary School Library 