Chinese people celebrate both January 1st (Gregorian New Year) and Lunar New Year (Spring Festival), which usually falls in late January or February. January 1st is just a quiet day off work.

Lunar New Year is the real celebration — it's the most important holiday of the year. The whole country shuts down for a week so everyone can travel home to be with their families. You'll find red envelopes, fireworks, and endless family dinners. Lots of younger people in cities do both: they party on New Year's Eve with friends, then head home for the big family reunion in February.

Search keyword: "Chinese New Year red lanterns" on Unsplash

Search keyword: "China train station Spring Festival" on Unsplash

China only celebrated Lunar New Year until 1912, when the new Republic of China switched to the Western Gregorian calendar for government and business. Today China runs on two calendars: Gregorian for work and planning, lunar for traditional holidays. That's why you get two New Years.

Chūn Jié (Spring Festival) is the big one — it's like Christmas, Thanksgiving, and New Year's all wrapped together. Every year brings Chūn Yùn, the Spring Travel rush: hundreds of millions of people across the country all trying to get home for New Year's Eve dinner. It's the largest annual human migration on the planet. That should tell you everything about how important this holiday is.

Here's how it works today:

If you have Chinese friends, remember to say "Happy New Year" twice a year!