chinese new year starts with the new moon?¨??????on the first day of the new year and ends on the full moon?¨?ú????15 days later. the 15th day of the new year is called the lantern festival?¨???ü????, which is celebrated at night with lantern displays and children carrying lanterns in a parade.

the chinese calendar is based on a combination of lunar and solar movements. the lunar cycle?¨??????????is about 29.5 days. in order to "catch up" with the solar calendar the chinese insert an extra month once every few years (seven years out of a 19-yearcycle). this is the same as adding an extra day on leap year ?¨?ò?ê??. this is why, according to the solar calendar, the chinese new year falls on a different date each year.