Happy Lunar New Year

Sure, you were steadfast on Jan. 1, but by now, your 2018 resolutions may have fallen by the wayside. Take heart. You have another shot at getting it right, thanks to our Asian friends who keep the tradition of Lunar New Year alive and well.

If you’ve ever wondered why some cultures mark the new year at different times of the year, read on.

There are roughly 40 calendars in use throughout the world. The one all of us at Hormel Foods use – in fact, the most widely used civil calendar out there – is the Gregorian calendar, a system of marking days, weeks and months that was established in the 16th century by Pope Gregory XIII. It’s a solar calendar, which means it’s based on the sun, and more to the point, Earth’s revolution around it. Thanks to something called gravity, we can count on a year having 365.25 days, unless it’s a leap year. Then we get a bonus of Feb. 29, a catch-up day made up of four of those quarter days.

There are also lunar calendars and lunisolar calendars. As the names suggest, they’re based on the moon and specifically, its phases. In addition to following the Gregorian calendar, some cultures employ a lunar or lunisolar calendar for holidays and/or festivals.

China, Korea, Vietnam, Japan and other Asian nations are among them. They use a lunisolar calendar, which is a lunar calendar with a feature known as intercalary months designed to keep it somewhat in sync with the solar calendar. Judaism does as well, allowing Rosh Hashanah – or Jewish New Year – to fall in autumn each year. On the other hand, Islam abides by a purely lunar calendar. Its new-year celebration can happen in any given month as a result.

Because the lunar year and solar year are different lengths, they generally start on different dates. It’s always Jan. 1 for the solar calendar, but in China, for example, the new year begins with the first new moon between Jan. 21 and Feb. 20. In 2018, Chinese will be wishing each other a happy new year on Feb. 16.

Lunar New Year in Asia is widely known and reported on, no doubt because of the continent’s large population and the rich traditions associated with the holiday. Take a look at some facts about Lunar New Year and how it’s celebrated in Korea, Vietnam and China. Then sit back and enjoy firsthand accounts from some of the Hormel Foods employees who understand full well that two new years are better than one.