Chinese New Year

Chinese New Year, Lunar 按阴历的 New Year, or Spring Festival is the most important of the traditional Chinese holidays. The festival traditionally 传统上 begins on the first day of the first month (Chinese: 正月; pinyin: zhēng yuè) in the Chinese calendar [ˈkælində]日历  and ends with Lantern Festival 元宵节 which is on the 15th day. Chinese New Year's Eve, a day where Chinese families gather [ˈɡæðə]聚集，集合 for their annual [ˈænjuəl]一年一度的 reunion [ˌri:ˈju:niən] dinner 团圆饭, is known as chú xī (除夕). It literally means "Year-pass Eve".

Chinese New Year is the longest and most important festivity 庆典 in the Chinese Lunar Calendar. The origin [ˈɔridʒin]起源 of Chinese New Year is itself centuries old and gains significance [siɡˈnifikəns]重大意义 because of several myths 神话 and traditions. Ancient Chinese New Year is a reflection [riˈflekʃən]反映 on how the people behaved 表现 and what they believed in the most.

In countries such as Australia, Canada and the United States, although Chinese New Year is not an official 官方的 holiday, many ethnic Chinese hold large celebrations 庆祝仪式 and Australia Post, Canada Post, and the US Postal Service issue发行 New Year's themed 主题的 stamps.