New Year’s Day 2024

Lunar Date: N/A
Date in Australia: Monday 1 January 2024
Public Holiday?: Yes
Suitable for Gift-Giving?: No

The beginning of the new year, which is January 1st in the Gregorian calendar, is known as “New Year” in many countries. In Chinese, the character “元” represents “beginning,” and “旦” represents “day”; therefore, “元旦” (Yuan Dan) signifies the “day of the beginning.” This term is typically used to refer to the first day of the first month in a calendar.

In China, the term “元旦” has been used since ancient times and first appeared in the book “晋书” (Book of Jin). Throughout Chinese history, “元旦” referred to the first day of the first month in the lunar calendar. The calculation method for this month was not standardized until the reign of Emperor Wu of Han, and different dynasties had different dates for the first day of the first month.

After the Xinhai Revolution, the Republic of China decided to adopt the Gregorian calendar (implemented in 1912) to conform to the lunar and solar calendars’ statistical methods, designating January 1st as “New Year” but not calling it “元旦.” Since 1949, the People’s Republic of China has set January 1st as Yuan Dan; hence, it is also called “阳历年” (solar calendar year), “新历年” (new calendar year), or “公历年” (Gregorian calendar year) in China.

The holiday schedule for Yuan Dan in 2023 is from December 31st, 2022, to January 2nd, 2023, for a total of three days.

Calendar Concepts

Beginning of the Lunar Calendar

In China, the concept of “元旦” has always referred to the first day of the first month in the lunar calendar. The method of calculating this month was not standardized until the reign of Emperor Wu of Han. Consequently, different dynasties had different months and dates for Yuan Dan. The Xia Dynasty’s Xia calendar had the first month of spring as the first month; the Shang Dynasty’s Yin calendar had the twelfth month of winter as the first month; and the Zhou Dynasty’s Zhou calendar had the eleventh month of winter as the first month. After Qin Shi Huang unified the six states, the first month was set in the tenth month of winter, with the first day of this month as Yuan Dan. From Emperor Wu of Han onwards, the first month of spring was established as the first month, and the first day of this month was called Yuan Dan, which continued until the end of the Qing Dynasty.
In the Han Dynasty, Cui Yuan’s “三子钗铭” (Inscription of the Three Sons’ Hairpins) referred to the first day of the first month as “元正”; in the Jin Dynasty, Yu Chan’s “扬都赋” (Ode to Yangdu) called it “元辰”; in the Northern Qi period, “元会大享歌皇夏辞” (Song of the Great Enjoyment of the Yuan Meeting in the Imperial Summer) referred to it as “元春”; and in Tang Dezong Li Shi’s “元日退朝观军仗归营” (Returning to the Camp after Watching the Military Parade on Yuan Ri), it was called “元朔.”

Beginning of the Solar Calendar

In 1911, the Xinhai Revolution led by Sun Yat-sen overthrew the Qing Dynasty and established the Republic of China. To “conform to the agricultural calendar and facilitate statistics,” the firstyear of the Republic decided to adopt the Gregorian calendar (actually implemented in 1912) and designated January 1st as “New Year” but did not call it “元旦.” Provincial governors held a meeting in Nanjing to decide on the use of the Gregorian calendar, referring to the first day of the first lunar month as “春节” (Spring Festival) and January 1st in the Gregorian calendar as “元旦,” although it was not officially announced at the time.

On January 1st, 1912, the Republic of China was established, and Sun Yat-sen assumed the position of interim president in Nanjing. In his inauguration speech, Sun Yat-sen concluded with “中华民国元年元旦” (the first Yuan Dan of the Republic of China). This marks the origin of China’s “元旦.”
On September 27th, 1949, the First Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference decided to establish the People’s Republic of China and adopt the globally recognized Gregorian calendar, also known as the solar calendar. Yuan Dan refers to the first day of the Gregorian calendar year.

To differentiate between the lunar and solar New Year, the first day of the first lunar month was renamed the “春节” (Spring Festival) since it falls around the time of the “立春” (Beginning of Spring) solar term, and January 1st in the Gregorian calendar was established as the beginning of the new year, called “元旦.” It was included as a statutory holiday and became a national celebration.
Every year on January 1st, marking the start of a new year, people commonly refer to this day as “元旦,” also known as “公历年” (Gregorian calendar year), “阳历年” (solar calendar year), or “新历年” (new calendar year). On this day, people celebrate the arrival of the new year, looking forward to a year filled with hope and beauty.

Festival Culture

In modern China, Yuan Dan has become a nationwide celebration according to the government’s statutory holiday regulations. Typically, there is a one-day holiday, and the weekends before and after are usually adjusted to form a continuous three-day rest period. In comparison to the Spring Festival, the importance of Yuan Dan celebrations in modern China is relatively lower. Government agencies and enterprises often hold year-end collective celebrations, but there are fewer folk celebrations.