euviiBunni

Preface

This statement is not directed at any specific individual. It is written in response to a broader discourse in which the term "Lunar New Year" is, in some cases, used to obscure or detach the festival from its documented Chinese origin. My intention is educational rather than confrontational.

I had initially intended to include this statement when I first published the post; however, it was already quite late at night. I completed and refined this post the following afternoon to ensure clarity and accuracy.

Credit for research inspiration and reference discussions: @君迁 @爵士喵Jazz Mewo @小工署68B782AC @爱瓷器的红嘴蓝鹊 on Xiaohongshu

1. "Lunar New Year" has a colonial legacy.

The term "Lunar New Year" originates from British colonialization in Hong Kong, during which British colonial authorities systematically downplayed Chinese cultural and political identity. This shift of terminology is evident by the colonial legal sources. The Holidays (Amendment) Ordinance No. 19 of 1967 adopted the term "Chinese New Year", whereas the Holidays (Amendment) Ordinance 1968 (Bill No. 11 of 1968), published later on 11 April 1968 within the Legal Supplement No. 3 to the Hong Kong Government Gazette, replaced it with "Lunar New Year" for the first time. This change suggests that the earlier term explicitly acknowledged the festival's name and cultural origin, while the later generic term served to dilute that connection. Reinstating "Chinese New Year" today aligns with broader global efforts toward decolonization and the recognition of historically marginalized identities. 

2. "Lunar New Year" is factually incorrect.

The traditional Chinese calendar is luni-solar, not purely lunar. It incorporates both the lunar phases and the solar year plus the 24 solar terms (24节气) to determine dates, which is why Chinese New Year falls between late-January and mid-February. Its date is calculated through a complex astronomical system and officially determined by the Purple Mountain Observatory, Chinese Academy of Sciences. By contrast, the Islamic Hijri Calendar is the true lunar calendar, based solely on lunar cycles, and this Lunar New Year typically occurs around June. Calling Chinese New Year as "Lunar New Year" therefore conflates two fundamentally different calendrical systems and misrepresents the sophisticated astronomical principles underlying the Chinese calendar. Such imprecision risks academic malpractice and fails to respect both Chinese and Islamic traditions by obscuring their distinct historical and scientific foundations. 

3. Respecting cultural origin truly matters.

Chinese New Year is not merely a generic seasonal celebration; It is a deeply rooted cultural tradition with a continuous historical lineage in China spanning well over a millennium. Across the country, families reunite on New Year's Eve for an elaborate reunion dinner (年夜饭), often the most important meal of the year. People gather to watch the annual CCTV Spring Festival Gala, while regional television networks host their own local galas. Homes are decorated with red couplets (春联), people clean their houses to sweep away misfortune from the past year, wear new clothes to welcome a fresh beginning, set off fireworks to symbolize blessings, and prepare symbolic foods such as dumplings and tangyuan to represent prosperity and reunion. On the first day of the New Year, red envelopes (红包) containing "lucky money" (压岁钱) are given to children, with red symbolizing good fortune. Families visit relatives in the following days, filling neighborhoods with festive energy. For many Chinese people, this is the single most significant annual reunion, a moment when those who have spent the year working far from home finally return to be together. While regional variations exist within China, and countries such as Vietnam and Korea have incorporated their own local customs into their celebrations, the historical origin of this festival is Chinese. It is entirely reasonable to acknowledge adaptations - just as we distinguish between American English and Canadian English while recognizing the linguistic origin as English. Recognizing "Chinese New Year" acknowledges origin without denying participation. (I do not mind calling it Vietnamese Chinese New Year or Korean Chinese New Year.)

Notably, in 2024, UNESCO inscribed the Spring Festival (Social Practices of the Chinese People in Celebration of Traditional New Year) on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, explicitly recognizing its origin in China. This international recognition further affirms its cultural and historical roots.

4. Inclusivity should not come at the expense of cultural specificity.

While I understand the intention behind using more inclusive terminology, genuine inclusivity does not require erasing origin. Respecting cultural specificity is itself a form of inclusivity, one that acknowledges history rather than flattening it. Using "Chinese New Year" does not prevent others from celebrating; it simply identifies the cultural source. Removing the word "Chinese" does not inherently make the term more inclusive; rather, it risks detaching the festival from its documented historical context. Precision in language is not exclusion, it is respect. I believe that we all share a commitment to historical accuracy, cultural integrity, and the avoidance of inadvertent cultural appropriation through overly vague terminology. 

5. On contemporary diplomatic usage and cultural responsibility.

It is true that Chinese embassies and officials sometimes use "Spring Festival / Lunar New Year" in international contexts. Historically, overseas Chinese communities permitted broader terminology out of cultural confidence and goodwill, allowing space for shared celebration. However, recent discourse shows that in some cases, "Lunar New Year" is being used not as a neutral umbrella term, but as a means to deliberately minimize or erase the festival's Chinese origin. My concern is long-term cultural memory. If the explicit connection to China continues to be diluted, future generations, including overseas Chinese youth, may gradually internalize a de-contextualized narrative that treats the festival as culturally rootless. Chinese people are fully entitled to choose accurate English translations of 春节, whether "Chinese New Year", "Spring Festival", or "Chunjie". But for those who adopt and celebrate the festival outside China, acknowledging its inseparable Chinese cultural origin is an essential act of respect. Cultural exchange should not become cultural erasure.

Thank you for taking the time to read this statement. I understand that terminology can feel sensitive, but my intention here is simply to advocate for historical accuracy and cultural respect. This hairstyle was created specifically to celebrate Chinese New Year. Out of respect for that intention, I kindly ask that the term "Chinese New Year" be used in the comments under this post.

Thank you for your understanding! I truly appreciate everyone who celebrates with goodwill and respect.