What date is celebrated as Lunar New Year's Day in the Chinese calendar tradition?

Chinese New Year begins on the first day of the first month of the traditional Chinese lunisolar calendar.

Because the calendar follows both lunar phases and the solar year, the date moves each year in the Gregorian calendar. Chinese New Year usually falls between January 21 and February 20. The celebration starts with New Year’s Day and continues through a festival period that traditionally lasts fifteen days, ending with the Lantern Festival.

The holiday is also called the Spring Festival, or Chun Jie in Mandarin. Customs include family reunions, red decorations, gift envelopes, firecrackers in some places, and foods associated with prosperity and longevity.

The first day should not be confused with Chinese New Year’s Eve, when families commonly gather for a reunion dinner. Nor is it the same as the Lantern Festival, which occurs on the fifteenth day and marks the close of the traditional celebration period.