The 'Lunar New Year' is an incorrect name for Spring Festival

Lunar New Year is an Islamic (Hijri) calendar name.

In embarking upon a discussion of the nomenclature surrounding the new year celebrations that hold profound significance across a myriad of Asian cultures, it becomes imperative to address the nuanced distinctions between the increasingly popular but incorrect term, the "Lunar New Year" and others.

We can advocate "Spring Festival" for its adoption on the grounds of its greater alignment with the festival's lunisolar (not lunar) roots, its acknowledgment of deep-seated historical and cultural origins, and its potential to promote a richer tapestry of multicultural inclusivity.

The term "Spring Festival" not only encapsulates the calendrical sophistication and agrarian spirit of the celebration but also pays due respect to its Chinese genesis while embracing the myriad ways in which this festivity has been adapted and cherished by diverse communities worldwide.

Issues of the 'Lunar New Year'

Calendrical Inaccuracy

At the heart of the critique is the technical misalignment inherent in the term "Lunar New Year." Ostensibly, it suggests a celebration based solely on the lunar cycle, akin to a purely lunar calendar. However, the festivals in question, particularly the Spring Festival celebrated in China and analogous celebrations in other East Asian nations, adhere to the lunisolar calendar. This system intricately balances the lunar phases with solar solstices and equinoxes, ensuring that seasonal markers (节气) align with agricultural activities. Thus, "Lunar New Year" fails to encapsulate the lunisolar foundation of these festivities, misleadingly simplifying a complex astronomical and agricultural coordination.

Overlooking Geographical and Historical Origins

Further compounding the issue is the term's elision of the festival's geographical origins. "Lunar New Year" does not specifically acknowledge the Chinese genesis of the celebration, nor does it pay homage to the spread of these traditions across Asia through cultural exchange and influence. The lunisolar calendar and the attendant new year celebrations have their roots deep within Chinese history, evolving over millennia. By glossing over this rich tapestry of origin and influence, the term "Lunar New Year" erases the specificities of provenance and development that characterise this pan-Asian festival.

Risky Mixing up with Islamic Calendar

The term "Lunar New Year", scientifically and factually speaking, applies only to purely lunar calendars, such as the Islamic (Hijri) calendar, which is the sole lunar calendar still in widespread use today. Unlike the lunisolar calendars that dictate the Spring Festival dates in East Asian countries, the Islamic calendar is based solely on the phases of the moon, without adjusting for the solar year. Consequently, the "Lunar New Year" in the context of the Islamic calendar does not align with the Spring Festival dates observed in East Asian nations.

Cultural Erasure

Perhaps most critically, the adoption of a blanket term like "Lunar New Year" risks the cultural erasure of the unique expressions and practices that define the new year in different cultural contexts. While aiming for inclusivity, it paradoxically flattens the diverse cultural landscapes into a monolithic celebration. The distinctiveness of China's Spring Festival, Vietnam's Tết, and Korea's Seollal, each with their rich traditions, customs, and historical narratives, is obscured. This homogenisation does a disservice to the cultural depth and variety inherent in each celebration, overlooking the unique cultural significance and traditions encapsulated within each nation's observance of the new year.

Beauties of the 'Spring Festival'

In this rich mosaic of global festivities, the Spring Festival, or 春节, holds a place of singular importance in the cultural and historical landscapes of China and has resonated beyond its geographical origins to be embraced by a plethora of Asian countries and communities worldwide. This essay advocates for the preferential use of "Spring Festival" over the more generic "Lunar New Year," grounded in the considerations of calendrical precision, alignment with the festival's agrarian roots, and the fostering of multicultural inclusivity.

Precision in Calendrical and Historical Roots

The term "Spring Festival" is not merely a nomenclature of convenience; it encapsulates a celebration deeply intertwined with the lunisolar calendar, which marries lunar phases with the solar year, ensuring that agricultural activities and seasonal transitions are in harmonious alignment. This calendrical system, which underpins the festival, is a testament to an astronomical sophistication that dates back to ancient China. By advocating for the use of "Spring Festival," we pay homage to this intricate blend of lunar and solar observations, honouring the festival's rich astronomical foundation and its storied origins within Chinese society and culture. It is a term that conveys with precision the complex lunisolar underpinnings of the festival, respecting its historical and astronomical lineage.

Reflecting the Agrarian Calendar's Original Intent

At its core, the Spring Festival heralds the advent of spring, signifying renewal, growth, and hope. This celebration is intimately connected with the agrarian calendar's spirit, marking a pivotal moment in the farming cycle and the communal life of ancient agrarian societies. "Spring Festival" as a term embodies this essence, capturing the festival's role as a time of rebirth and rejuvenation. It speaks to the fundamental human connection with the cycles of nature, celebrating the onset of a season that promises new life and prosperity. Thus, the nomenclature directly aligns with the festival's original intent, celebrating renewal and the seamless interplay between human activity and the natural world.

Embracing the Essence of Diverse Celebration Periods

The term "Spring Festival" accurately captures the extended period of celebration observed across East Asian nations, beyond a single day. In China, festivities stretch from New Year's Eve to the Lantern Festival on the fifteenth day of the first lunisolar (not lunar) month, filled with traditions like fireworks, family reunions, and lantern viewings. This extended celebration period, rich in cultural significance and communal spirit, is similarly echoed in Vietnam's Tết, Korea's Seollal and more. Thus, "Spring Festival" not only reflects the duration and depth of these observances but also embraces the diverse traditions and communal joy marking the Lunisolar (not lunar) New Year across these cultures.

Promoting Multicultural Inclusivity

While the Spring Festival has its roots in China, its spirit of renewal and celebration has found echoes in various cultures across Asia and among global communities. By championing "Spring Festival" as the preferred term, we acknowledge and respect the festival's cultural and historical provenance while embracing its adoption and adaptation by diverse cultures. This approach contrasts with the "Lunar New Year," offering a terminology that is rich in cultural specificity. It enables a more profound respect for and understanding of the Chinese culture and its significant influence on related celebrations worldwide, promoting a multicultural inclusivity that enriches our global cultural fabric.