The date of Chinese New Year, in different dynasties. Xia dynasty in January, at the beginning of shang dynasty at the beginning of December, Zhou Chaoding in November, at the beginning of the qin dynasty was set for October the first. To the beginning of the western han dynasty (104 BC), of the first year of emperor accepted sima qian and others recommend the use of "the beginning calendar", restored a summer is the lunar calendar, for the first month and at put 24 solar terms in a calendar. Later dynasties, though a modification about calendar, but basically still in "the beginning calendar", in a summer Meng Chun for the beginning of the first, the first day for New Year's day, the first lunar month ganjitsu, namely, the first day of the New Year.

　　After xinhai revolution in 1911, the qing rule was overthrown, sun yat-sen set up the government of the republic of China in nanjing. Provinces DouDuFu representatives held a meeting in nanjing, to discuss the calendar. Reached at the meeting "line a summer, so the suitable season; from the western, so statistics" consensus, decided to use the Gregorian calendar, the calendar on January 1, custom-built "New Year", the first lunar month is called "Spring Festival", but has not officially named and promotion. On September 27, 1949, the first plenary session of the Chinese people's political consultative conference by using "Gregorian calendar dating method", the Gregorian calendar on January 1 as the "New Year's day", must be known as the "Spring Festival" at the beginning of the day of the first lunar month and the Spring Festival holiday three days, let people warmly celebrate the lunar New Year.

　　In the course of two thousand years of history, our country has experienced germination, finalize the design, the New Year custom fission, transformation of the development process.

　　中国新年的日期，在各朝代并不相同。夏朝定在一月初一，商朝定在十二月初一，周朝定在十一月初一，秦朝定在十月初一。到西汉太初元年(公元前104年)，汉武帝接受司马迁等人的建议使用《太初历》，恢复了夏历即农历，以正月为岁首，把二十四节气订入历法。后来历朝历代虽对历法有过修改，但基本上仍然以《太初历》为蓝本，以夏历的孟春正月为岁首，正月初一为元旦、元日，即新年的第一天。

　　1911年辛亥革命以后，清朝统治被推翻，孙中山在南京建立中华民国政府。各省都督府代表在南京召开会议，讨论历法问题。会上达成了“行夏历，所以顺农时;从西历，所以便统计”的共识，决定使用公历，把公历1月1日定做“新年”，把农历正月初一称做“春节”，但并未正式命名和推广。1949年9月27日，中国人民政治协商会议第一届全体会议通过使用“公历纪年法”，将公历1月1日定为“元旦”，把农历正月初一定名为“春节”，并规定春节放假三天，让人们热烈地庆祝农历新年。

　　在两千多年的历史进程中，我国的新年礼俗经历了萌芽、定型、裂变、转型的发展过程。