What is the Chinese name for the Spring Festival?

The Chinese name for the Spring Festival is Chūnjié, written 春节 in simplified Chinese.

Chūnjié literally means “Spring Festival.” It is the common Chinese name for the celebration that begins the new year on the traditional Chinese lunisolar calendar. In English, the festival is also widely called Chinese New Year or Lunar New Year, although “Lunar New Year” can refer more broadly to new-year celebrations in other cultures.

The holiday marks the end of winter and the beginning of spring in the traditional seasonal cycle. Celebrations begin on Chinese New Year’s Eve and traditionally continue through the Lantern Festival on the fifteenth day of the new year. Family reunions, special meals, red decorations, fireworks, and red envelopes are among its best-known customs.

A frequent mix-up involves other Chinese holidays and new-year terms. Guóqìng refers to National Day, Yuándàn commonly refers to New Year’s Day on the Gregorian calendar, and Xīnnián means “new year” more generally. Chūnjié is the specific name for the Spring Festival holiday.