The growing replacement of the term 'Chinese New Year' with 'Lunar New Year' reflect a broader pattern of cultural erasure rooted in colonial history and modern misrepresentation. This global recognised festival originates from the Chinese luni-solar calendar, not a purely lunar system, making the generic label factually inaccurate as well as culturally diminishing.

Rebranding it as 'Lunar New Year' strips the celebration of its historical identity, weakens recognition of Chinese-originated cultural heritage, and risks turning a deeply rooted tradition into an vague event.

In December 2024, the 'Chinese New Year' (called Chunjie, aka Spring Festival) is formally recognised by UNESCO as intangible cultural heritage, continuing to avoid its rightful name undermines the principles of truth-telling, cultural respect, and decolonisation. Inclusivity should not come at the cost of cultural erasure. Acknowledging the festival as 'Chinese New Year' honours its origins while remaining open to all who celebrate it.

1. The term 'Lunar New Year' carries a colonial legacy

The term 'Lunar New Year' originates from British colonialisation in Hong Kong, during which British colonial authorities systematically downplayed Chinese cultural and political identity. This shift of terminology is evident in colonial legal sources. The Holidays (Amendment) Ordinance No. 19 of 1967 adopted the term 'Chinese New Year', whereas the Holidays (Amendment) Ordinance 1968 (Bill No. 11 of 1968), published later on 11 April 1968 within Legal Supplement No. 3 to the Hong Kong Government Gazette, replaced it with 'Lunar New Year' for the first time. This change suggests that the earlier term explicitly acknowledged the festival’s name and cultural origin, while the later generic term served to dilute that connection. Reinstating 'Chinese New Year' today aligns with broader global efforts toward decolonisation and the recognition of historically marginalised identities.

2. Rebranding as 'Lunar New Year' is academic malpractice

The traditional Chinese calendar is luni-solar, not purely lunar. It incorporates both lunar phases and the solar year to determine dates, which is why Chinese New Year falls between late January and mid-February. The Chinese Purple Mountain Observatory (PMO) in Nanjing, under the Chinese Academy of Sciences, determines the official Chinese New Year date using precise astronomical calculations.

By contrast, the Islamic Hijri Calendar is a true lunar calendar, based solely on lunar cycles, and its Lunar New Year typically occurs around June. Rebranding Chinese New Year as 'Lunar New Year' therefore conflates two fundamentally different calendrical systems and misrepresents the sophisticated astronomical principles underlying the Chinese calendar. Such imprecision risks academic malpractice and fails to respect both Chinese and Islamic traditions by obscuring their distinct historical and scientific foundations.

3. Respecting cultural origin truly matters

Just as we refer to the language spoken in the Anglophone world as 'English' to acknowledge its origins, using 'Chinese New Year' recognises where this festival came from, without excluding other communities that also celebrate it.

In addition, 'Chunjie' aka 'Spring Festival' (Chinese New Year) is officially recognised as a UNESCO intangible cultural heritage in December 2024, affirming its deep historical roots, cultural authenticity, and global significance. This international recognition further reinforces the importance of using terminology that accurately reflects the festival's origin, identity and cultural legitimacy.

4. Inclusivity should not come at the cost of cultural appropriation

While I understand the intention behind using more inclusive terminology, genuine inclusivity respects historical and cultural origins rather than erasing them. Using 'Chinese New Year' does not prevent others from participating in or celebrating the festival; it simply honours its source. Everyone around the world share a commitment to historical accuracy, cultural integrity, and the avoidance of inadvertent cultural appropriation through overly vague terminology.

'Chinese New Year' is the accurate and appropriate term, and that its use aligns with principles of truth-telling, cultural integrity, inclusion, diversity, and decolonisation.