What is the origin of New Year's Day?
"The term 'New Year's Day' first appeared more than 3,000 years ago. According to the 'Jin History', it says, 'The颛帝 took the third month of the early spring as the beginning, and this was the start of the New Year's Day in the spring.' This shows that even though the New Year's Day had already appeared at that time. It wasn't until September 27, 1949, on the eve of the founding of the People's Republic of China, that our country decided to use the universally used Gregorian calendar, which is known as the common calendar in our country. From then on, New Year's Day became the first day of the new year in the Gregorian calendar.
What is the difference between New Year's Day and the Spring Festival?
Difference One [Different Meanings]
-- New Year's Day: New Year's Day, also known as Yuanri, Wushuo, Wuchen, Yuanzheng, etc., means the beginning of a year. Because the character "Yuan" originally meant "head", and later came to mean "beginning". The original meaning of the character "Dan" is also "beginning".
-- Spring Festival: The Spring Festival is the most important festival for the Han nationality. However, China is a multi-ethnic country, and besides the Han nationality, there are more than ten ethnic minorities such as Manchu, Mongolian, Yao, Zhuang, Bai, Gaoshan, Hezhe, Hani, Daur, Dong, and Li who also have the custom of celebrating the Spring Festival. -- New Year's Day: New Year's Day, also known as Yuanri, Wushuo, Wuchen, Yuanzheng, etc., means the beginning of a year. Because the character "Yuan" originally meant "head", and later came to mean "beginning". The original meaning of the character "Dan" is also "beginning".
Difference Two [Different Establishment Times]
-- New Year's Day: After the liberation in 1949, the Central People's Government issued the "Regulations on National Holidays and Memorial Days", and then set January 1st of each year as New Year's Day, which is a national holiday for one day.
-- Spring Festival: In order to distinguish the lunar and solar new years, and the beginning of spring, the first day of the first lunar month is called "Spring Festival".
Difference Three [Different Legends]
-- Legend of New Year's Day: More than 4,000 years ago during the prosperous era of Yao and Shun, Yao did a lot of good things for the people and was deeply loved by them. Before his death, he did not pass the throne to his son but to Shun. Later, Shun passed the throne to Yu, who had successfully controlled the floods and was also very popular among the people. Later, people took the day when Shun sacrificed to heaven and earth and Yao as the beginning of the year, and called the first day of the lunar month "New Year's Day".
-- Legend of the Spring Festival: The Spring Festival originated from the Laba sacrifice, witchcraft rituals, ghost festivals, and other theories. The most accepted theory is the period of Shun. More than 2,000 years ago, after Shun inherited the throne, he led the people to worship heaven and earth, and later this was regarded as the lunar new year, and later called the Spring Festival.
