The Shang dynasty is traditionally credited with the origin of Chinese New Year.
The association comes from accounts of Shang-era end-of-year ceremonies, when communities performed sacrificial rites honoring gods and ancestors. These observances were not yet identical to the modern Spring Festival, but they form part of the long historical development commonly connected with Chinese New Year.
The festival’s history is more layered than a single founding date. Earlier harvest celebrations may have contributed to later New Year customs, and a dated end-of-year exorcistic ritual called Big Nuo is recorded in the Warring States period. After the Qin unification, related rites continued, while the Han dynasty provides clearer written evidence for celebrating the beginning of a new year and worshipping ancestors.
That timeline explains a common mix-up: Han is especially important for early written descriptions, but Shang is the dynasty traditionally credited with the festival’s origin. Modern Chinese New Year combines ancient ancestor rites with later practices such as reunion dinners, red envelopes, decorations, and firecrackers.