lián hé guó jiào kē wén zǔ zhī联合国教科文组织wú yì zhōng无意中ràng让“nóng lì xīn nián农历新年”zhè ge这个shuō fǎ说法gèng更yǒu有zhēng yì争议
January 29 marks the beginning of the Lunar New Year.
Many places in Asia celebrate this festival, such as China, South Korea, Vietnam, Singapore, Malaysia, and others.
Common English terms include Lunar New Year, Chinese New Year, or Spring Festival.
In recent years, the name has become very contentious: some Chinese netizens believe the festival originates from China and insist it must be called 'Chinese New Year'; others say 'Lunar New Year' is more inclusive because many countries and overseas communities celebrate it.
In December 2024, after UNESCO listed 'Spring Festival — the social practice of celebrating the traditional Chinese New Year' as intangible cultural heritage, the debate intensified.
Some people treat this as 'international recognition' and demand foreigners use 'Chinese New Year,' even criticizing companies that use 'Lunar New Year.'
In fact, cultures often influence each other and cross national borders.
In the past, Korean festivals and kimchi also sparked disputes between Chinese and Korean netizens.
The United Nations General Assembly also recognized 'Lunar New Year' as an official holiday in 2023 because many member countries celebrate it.
Moreover, this festival uses a lunisolar calendar, not just a 'lunar calendar.'
In Chinese, people more commonly say 'Spring Festival,' 'Lunar New Year,' or simply 'celebrate the New Year.'
If only one English name is standardized, it might make other celebrants feel excluded and reduce cultural diversity.