In February 2018, Chinese supermodel Liu Wen sparked outrage from some of her Chinese fans when she posted a message on Instagram wishing her fans a "Happy Lunar New Year," instead of a "Happy Chinese New Year." According to the BBC, some "nationalistic [Chinese] social media users...accused her of pandering to other Asian countries." This is because the holiday that will be celebrated tomorrow, often referred to as "Chinese New Year" in English, is sometimes also called "Lunar New Year"--in recognition of the fact that it is celebrated in countries other than China, such as Vietnam and Korea (and Taiwan, although I realize some might dispute that Taiwan is a country). It is referred to as "Lunar New Year" because it is the first day of the year according to the lunisolar calendar traditionally used in some East Asian countries. What is a lunisolar calendar? According to nationsonline.org, "a lunisolar calendar is a calendar whose [dates indicate] both the phase of the moon and the time of the solar year, hence a combination of the lunar as well as the solar calendar."
Whether or not one thinks that the reaction to Liu Wen's message by her Chinese fans was justified, it cannot be disputed that the Lunar New Year holiday did have its origin in China. And this should not be surprising given that China was a major cultural influence on neighboring countries for centuries. Nevertheless, despite many similarities with the Chinese holiday, the Lunar New Year in countries like Vietnam and Korea is not quite the same. For example, according to the Chinese zodiac, the year that begins tomorrow will be the Year of the Rabbit. However, in Vietnam, where the holiday is known as Tet Ngugen Dan (or "Tet" for short), the coming year will be the Year of the Cat. According to Thuan Le Elston, writing at usatoday.com, there are different explanations for this difference. Some say it was due to a mistranslation of the Chinese word for "rabbit," while others point to the important of cats in Vietnamese culture since they were used as rat-killers by Vietnamese farmers. In Korea, where the holiday is called Seollal, it is the custom to dress in hanbok or traditional clothing, while in China the custom is simply to wear new clothes, preferably red (the color of good luck)--although some may wear traditional clothing. In China, the Lunar New Year holiday lasts fifteen days, while in Korea it is celebrated for only three days.
Finally, there is the case of Japan. It is well-known that in the past Japanese culture was heavily influenced by Chinese culture. However, despite some similar customs, there are differences between how the new year is celebrated in China and how it is celebrated in Japan. The most obvious difference is that the Japanese no longer celebrate the new year--known as Shogatsu--according to the lunisolar calendar. Since 1873, when Japan adopted the Gregorian calendar used in Western countries as part of its modernization efforts, the new year has been celebrated on January 1. Whereas in China traditionally firecrackers are set off at midnight on New Year's Eve to frighten away evil spirits, in Japan Buddhist temples ring their bells exactly 108 times at this time. According to jrpass.com, "[t]his number represents the total [number of] human desires, which Buddhists believe lead to pain and suffering. The ritual...banishes these negative desires from the past year in order to start anew."
In conclusion, should we call the holiday "Lunar New Year" or "Chinese New Year"? It would seem to depend on which version of the holiday we are referring to. In a way, this holiday is like Christmas, which originated in one part of the world--Europe--but spread beyond the boundaries of Europe. And like Christmas, many of the customs associated with the holiday are the same, but there are also some distinct national differences. So, whatever you call it--Chunjie, Tet Nguyen Dan, Seollal, or something else--may the coming new (lunar) year be a happy one! And Happy Year of the Rabbit (or Cat)!
Image of Chinese New Year market in Singapore from Wikimedia Commons