(MENAFNEditorial)
Looking forward to the Chinese New Year of 2015 a recent survey on holiday schedules during Spring Festival conducted by China's Leading online inbound tourism company Lvpad.com stirred huge discussion among netizens.
"More than 70% of the participants wanted New Year's Eve to be included in the three-day lunar new year statutory holiday" said Minna Chen the COO of Lvpad.com though most Chinese people will spend the Eve with their family.
The date of Chinese New Year changes each year as it is based on the lunar calendar. While the western Gregorian calendar is based on the earth's orbit around the sun China and most Asian countries use the lunar calendar that is based on the moon's orbit around the earth.
Chinese New Year always falls on the second new moon after the winter solstice. Other Asian countries such as Korea Japan and Vietnam also celebrate New Year using the lunar calendar.
Chinese New Year started many thousands of years ago. It is still celebrated today. It is a time for enjoying family and friends for remembering ancestors for feasting and for giving gifts of "red envelopes" of lucky money.
The holiday is important for working people who have worked strenuously for a whole year. What was the Spring Festival vacation like in ancient China? Let us take a look.
"Emperor Xuanzong in the Tang Dynasty stipulated that ancient officials enjoy 7-day holidays during the Chinese Lunar New Year and Winter Solstice Festival so there were two "golden weeks" in one year" said Minna Chen.
Teachers and students in old-style private schools however could take their vacation in advance and their holiday could last for a whole month. Most common people like peasants never had holidays. They had to sweat on the farmland all the year if necessary.
In the Song Dynasty the lunar new year holiday was also 7 days like during the Tang Dynasty but there was also 7 days off during the Lantern Festival (15th of the first lunar month).
There was a special benefit for local officials. They could enjoy their New Year holiday early from Dec 20th to Jan 20th of the Chinese lunar New Year.
However if you were a high official in the capital you couldn't take a rest on the new year and couldn't ask for leave. You had to dress formally and brave the snow to make your way to court in the wee hours. A grand New Year celebration was waiting for you.
The imperial court reduced holidays during the Ming and early Qing dynasties which met with more and more opposition among officials. So the government added winter vacation into the officials' holidays. Besides the lunar New Year holiday and winter holiday were both extended to one month.
Therefore in the Qing Dynasty officials could enjoy a "golden month" again. With the Winter Solstice Festival New Year's Day and Lantern Festival added together these people could take a long vacation for almost one month.
"The Nationalist Government in Nanjing stipulated a rule to implement the new calendar and abolish the lunar calendar in 1929. Then there was no Spring Festival holiday during Minguo era. To strictly carry through the regulation the government would strictly punish people who violated it" said Minna Chen.
Until the beginning of 1934 considering public opinion the government had to announce that "Regarding the celebration of the lunar New Year except for government departments the folk custom shall not be interfered with too much." Then people could celebrate the Spring Festival above board again.
From: http://lvpad.com/journal/Looking-forward-to-the-Chinese-New-Year-of-2015/438
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