PR NEWSWIRE’S
PR CALENDAR FOR APAC

Chinese New Year is the largest and most important annual festival celebrated by Chinese and Chinese descendants around the world. Also known as the Spring Festival, Chinese Lunar New Year and Lunar New Year, the Chinese New Year is based on the Chinese lunar calendar, begins on the first day of the first month and ends with Lantern Festival on the 15th day of the first month.

Hong Kong - Feb 8-10

Lunar New Year is the most spectacular holiday of Hong Kong’s year and runs officially for three days, and even four if the holiday coincides with a Sunday. Unofficially, it is celebrated for up to two weeks.Chinese communities around the world, and particularly in Hong Kong, come alive with colour, fragrance, music and celebrations over the holiday. It is a time for massive festivities, temple rituals, fortune telling, family gatherings and the exchanging of gifts.

Source: http://publicholidays.hk/lunar-new-year/

Taiwan - Feb 7-12

Most of the shops and tourist attractions in Taiwan bring down their shutters during the first or second day of the Chinese New Year, while hotels and restaurants will be open and busy on the Chinese New Year’s Eve, being the home to family dinners. People would spend their days on family visits, and join the myriad of events and celebrations across Taiwan cities during the Chinese New Year period. As most of the shops will be closed during some days of the Chinese New Year period, Chinese New Year markets are great places in Taiwan to prepare for your Chinese New Year feast and prepare presents to your families and friends.

Source: http://www.timeanddate.com/holidays/taiwan/republic-day

Vietnam - Feb 6-12

Tet Nguyen Dan, or Tet for short, is considered the biggest and most popular festival of the year in Vietnam. Celebrated on the first day of the first month in Lunar Calendar, Tet’s celebration is the longest holiday which may last up to seven days.

Source: http://www.vietnamonline.com/tet.html

South Korea - Feb 7-10

Seollal is the first day of the first lunar month. For the Koreans, Seollal holds more significance than the new year of the Gregorian calendar. It is similar to the Chinese New Year holiday, and is a time for prayer and paying respect to one’s ancestor. Koreans also travel back to their hometowns to visit relatives. Preparations are done on the days leading up to Seollal, and many take the day off to travel. On the day itself, people get together to play traditional games, partake in feasts with traditional foods, or just simply enjoy one another’s company. The hanbok is traditionally worn, but many choose to don formal wear instead. The day begins with an ancestral rite of praying before a ritual table for respect and thanks, as well as praying for the family’s well being for the upcoming year.

Source: http://thaholiday.com/south-korea-public-holidays-2016/

Singapore - Feb 8-9

Also known as Lunar New Year or the Spring Festival, Chinese New Year is the most important event in the Chinese calendar. Traditionally, the festival was a time to honour deities, as well as ancestors. Chinese New Year is celebrated in countries and territories with significant Chinese populations, such as China, Hong Kong and Taiwan, as well as countries in South East Asia. The most significant part about the festival is the reunion dinner on New Year's Eve, where families gather for a scrumptious meal at home or restaurant. In some families it is essential to serve fish to symbolize the popular Chinese phrase (nian nian you yu), whihc means may there be surpluses every year. Another common practice during Chinese New Year is the giving of red packets, commonly known as "ang pow" in Singapore.

Sources:

http://www.yoursingapore.com/festivals-events-singapore/cultural-festivals/chinese-new-year.html

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_New_Year

http://publicholidays.sg/chinese-new-year/

Philippines - Feb 8

Chinese New Year is considered to be the most important festival for the Chinese community in the Philippines. It does not follow a fixed date in the Gregorian calendar, which is widely used in many countries. The celebration stretches to about 15 days with varied observations each day. Filipino-Chinese communities in the Philippines celebrate Chinese New Year every year in hope of attracting prosperity, closer family ties and peace. Most Filipino-Chinese families usually clean their homes thoroughly, prepare lucky money in red envelopes, serve sweet foods and display various food and fruits on a table, which is believed to invite good fortune. People also participate in parades and dragon dances that are organized in China Towns in different cities in the Philippines.

Source: http://www.timeanddate.com/holidays/philippines/chinese-new-year-day

Malaysia - Feb 8-9

In Malaysia many people light fireworks during Chinese New Year. At Chinese New Years Eve, you can enjoy fireworks until the deepest hours of the night. Also at other days, people will light fireworks. The best chance to witness this is in the more Chinese areas in Kuala Lumpur (like Chinatown, Old Klang Road/Kuchai Lama and many areas in Petaling Jaya) and also in cities like Georgetown (at Penang Island), Ipoh and Malacca. Hokkien Chinese in Malaysia also light a lot a fireworks at the ninth day of Chinese New Year, in celebration of the birthday of the Jade Emperor.

Source: http://www.wonderfulmalaysia.com/attractions/chinese-new-year-in-malaysia.htm

Indonesia - Feb 8

Lunar Chinese New Year’s celebrations in Indonesia, known locally as Imlek, incorporate customs, beliefs and practices brought to Jakarta Indonesia by Chinese immigrants who still follow the practices handed down from their parents.Within the ethnic Chinese community there are immigrants from many regions throughout China. Distinctively different Chinese communities are found in Pontianak for example, when compared to Medan or even Jakarta. Each of these immigrant communities brought the unique traditions of their hometowns to Jakarta Indonesia. This diversity in origins explains the diversity in the way Lunar Chinese New Year is celebrated by communities throughout the Indonesian archipelago.

Source: http://newyearseveblog.com/jakarta-chinese-new-year/

Thailand - Feb 8

Chinese New Year or Spring festival is hugely celebrated in many Chinese community in Thailand. The festival begins on the first day of the first lunar month and ends on the 15th day of the month . Although it is not considered to be an official holiday, numbers of Sino-Thai people usually take at least a day off in order reunite with their relatives in order to celebrate the beginning of the year together.

Source: Infoquest