It's that time of year

White American friends are deeply confused by Chinese New Year. Every year I feel like I have the same conversation to explain:

1. When is Chinese New Year? (Answer: It depends. This year it's Jan 29.)

2. How is Chinese New Year celebrated? (Answer: It depends.)

3. Why are people celebrating every weekend? (Answer: Because it lasts a month and a half.)

4. Why is it called the Spring Festival when it's not spring? (Answer: Because it's near spring according to the 24 solar terms.)

5. Why is it spring when it's not near the spring equinox? (Answer: Because the 24 solar terms sets the spring equinox as mid-spring. Seasons are a social construct.)

6. Is the 24 solar terms the Chinese calendar? (Answer: No. Chinese people use two different calendars because our traditions are old and weird.)

7. Why is Chinese New Year always around Jan/Feb when it's a lunar new year. (Answer: Because it's a lunisolar calendar, not a lunar calendar.)

8. Why are there so many names? (Answer: Because governments keep changing and also English translations aren't official translations and also because Chinese New Year celebrations existed before 1600BCE. Also for some reason Koreans wants to claim Chinese New Year as theirs so they refuse to call it Chinese New Year. I honestly don't understand why Koreans want to claim Chinese New Year. It's really baffling.)

And then there's the entire explanation of how a huge part of Chinese New Year is about bribing gods to write a positive year end review for the Jade Emperor so next year's fortune will be better. Because Chinese mythology is basically "heaven has the exact same bureaucracy as earth, but with more mysticism and magic and is multiple times more expensive". Folk religion is confusing AF because there's no canon, keeps changing and is also deeply secular. 🤣