What is the common Chinese name for Chinese New Year in mainland China?

The common Chinese name for Chinese New Year in mainland China is the Spring Festival.

In Mandarin, Spring Festival is Chūnjié (春节). It marks the beginning of a new year on the traditional Chinese lunisolar calendar and is one of the most important holidays in Chinese culture. In mainland China, “Spring Festival” is the official and standard name used in public life, while “Chinese New Year” remains a widely understood English translation.

The celebration begins on Chinese New Year’s Eve and traditionally continues through the Lantern Festival on the 15th day of the new year. Its date changes annually because it follows the lunisolar calendar; the first day falls on the new moon between January 21 and February 20. Family reunions, special meals, red envelopes, couplets, fireworks, and lion or dragon dances are associated with the holiday.

The name “Spring Festival” was proposed in 1914 by Yuan Shikai and retained by the government of the People’s Republic of China. It should not be confused with the Lantern Festival, which concludes the wider holiday period, or with separate festivals such as the Dragon Boat and Mid-Autumn festivals.