Chinese New Year , also known as the "Spring Festival" (simplified Chinese: 春节; traditional Chinese: 春節; Pinyin: Chūn Jié ) in modern China, is an important Chinese festival celebrated at the turn of the traditional lunisolar Chinese calendar. Celebrations traditionally run from the evening preceding the first day, to the Lantern Festival on the 15th day of the first calendar month. The first day of the New Year falls on the new moon between 21 Jan and 20 Feb. In 2017, the first day of the Chinese New Year was on Saturday, 28 January, initiating the year of the Rooster. The New Year festival is centuries old and gains significance because of several myths and customs. Traditionally, the festival was a time to honor deities as well as ancestors. Chinese New Year is celebrated in countries and territories with significant Chinese populations, including Mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau, Singapore, Taiwan, Indonesia, ...