Or: “Timekeeping is a fuck and this shit is convoluted”
Preface: There are 3 types of calendars. Solar (like the Gregorian calendar), Lunar (like the Islamic calendar) and Lunisolar (like the Hebrew calendar).
“The Korean lunisolar calendar, like most other East Asian calendars such as those of Japan, Mongolia, Vietnam, among others, are all derived from historical variants of Chinese ones such as the Shixian calendar of the Ming dynasty.”
I’m not a die hard about calling it “Chinese New Year” despite TET in Vietnam and Seollal in Korea both being derived from the Chinese calendar, among others. They have adapted their own customs and traditions to it. Calling the celebration “Chinese New Year” is not the most accurate. I am of a mind to call it what matters to you, you don’t have to translate it. Ramadan is Ramadan, no need to translate it to “Scorching Heat”, Hanukkah is Hanukkah, no need to translate it to “Dedication”.
However, to call it “Lunar New Year” implies it’s the definitive lunar calendar, which erases other civilizations’ timekeeping traditions. There are multiple lunar calendars with their own lunar new years such as Ugadi in India, Hijri in Muslim countries and the Tamil calendar as well.
Not to mention the Chinese calendar is actually lunisolar and not solely lunar, incorporating both solar and lunar timekeeping, so “Lunar New Year” is half accurate at best. Switching to calling it “Lunisolar New Year” also runs into similar issues, the Thai calendar is lunisolar (but Songkran/Thai New Year is in April) as is the Hebrew calendar (Rosh Hashanah/Hebrew New Year is in Sept-Oct)
In China, using 农历/agricultural calendar (due to its historical significance in relation to farming) or 旧历/old calendar to refer to the Chinese calendar are the most accurate whereas 阴历/lunar calendar and 阳历/solar calendar being common vernacular despite being technically incorrect.
Just call it 春节/Spring Festival or 新年/New Year, it’s the most common terms (元旦 is the most common way of referring to the Gregorian new year in China itself.) It really doesn’t matter that much to us. The term “Chinese New Year” is rarely used in China and was probably a term used by Chinese immigrants for the benefit of Westerners.
Tl;Dr “Lunar New Year” is well meaning but incorrect, erases other lunar calenders and recently has been used maliciously.
Question regarding practical application: I have several coworker friends who are from China (i.e. born and raised) but living in the US. I want to make them feel welcome and appreciated because they are cool and also I can’t imagine what it’s like for them to live in this racist hellhole. So I assume a simple “Happy New Year” would be the most socially appropriate expression?
Yeah pretty much, Lunar New Year is not even the most important holiday compare to Winter Festival if you really want to be traditional. Most people are just ok to receive wishful holiday sentiment, don’t over complicate thing
Never understand the controversies behind it. I guess every societies need their “Happy Holiday vs Merry Christmas” debate
Funny this kind of controversy only happens in English. I don’t seem to recall any such controversy in the Chinese language.
It’s like people crying about “Ukraine” and “the Ukraine” in English when Russian/Ukrainian don’t even have definite article in their languages and the two variants (with or without the “the”) are literally the same word.
In the same way CCP vs CPC is also only a controversy in English - 中国共产党 literally translates to Chinese Communist Party and only foreigners would try to start a debate about it. Most Chinese people would happily accept it either way (and in fact, was the case before 1943 until CPC was adopted to emphasize the nationalist character of the party).
It seems some people are over focus on the term instead of what the terms meant to represent. It’s just like people on reddit calling China West Taiwan as a power move. Perhaps it is just a sign of powerlessness.
Sidenote, really like the older generation calling people in China still calling everyone from post soviet countries “Soviet Union”
Haha the older folks love that shit.
I also know many older folks who weirdly love and admire Putin and think he’s taking on 美帝 lol.
Probably the more hawkish older Chinese generation see Russia as a more warlike political oriented country compare to the more dovelike China in an era of new Cold War.
Coincidentally, they are also not going to be the one fighting in the frontline if a Sino-US war happens
It’s fine either way, 新年 is very common as is 春节, however “Chinese New Year” is basically non existent in here China. As I said, none are explicitly wholly inaccurate, but calling it purely “Lunar New Year” is somewhat inaccurate and implications re: the other lunar calendars that aren’t east Asian.