春節又叫陰歷年、農歷新年、農歷年、舊歷年，俗稱“過年、大年、過大年”。陰歷是根據月亮陰晴圓缺的規律來制定的；而陽歷是根據地球繞太陽的運轉周期指定的。春節的歷史很悠久，它起源於殷商時期年頭歲尾的祭神祭祖活動。古時春節曾專指二十四節氣中的立春，後來改為夏歷正月初壹（即農歷正月初壹），被視為農歷年的開始，即為歲首。按照我國農歷，正月初壹古稱元日、元辰、元正、元朔、元旦等，俗稱年初壹。這是我國民間最隆重、最熱鬧的壹個傳統節日。而傳統意義上的春節，是從臘月初八的臘祭或臘月廿三、廿四的祭竈，直到正月十五日元宵節結束，有些地方甚至到整個正月，均以除夕和正月初壹為高潮。
春節是漢族最重要的傳統節日。在春節這壹傳統節日期間，人們舉行各種慶祝活動，這些活動大多以祭祀神佛、祭奠祖先、除舊布新、迎禧接福、祈求豐年為主要內容。瑤、壯、白、高山、赫哲、哈尼、達斡爾、侗、黎、滿、蒙古、等十幾個少數民族也有過春節的習俗，只是過節的形式各具自己的民族特色。
春節是東亞許多國家和地區慶祝新年的主要節日。越南語稱為“T?t Nguyên ?án”（節元旦）、日語稱為“正月”（註：日本節日“正月”類似於中國的元旦也即1月1日。）（明治維新後改稱舊正月）、韓語稱為“?”（此乃固有詞，即新年之意）。現在春節除了在中國、朝鮮半島、越南、日本等地之外，在蒙古、老撾、緬甸、柬埔寨、泰國、新加坡、馬來西亞、印度尼西亞等地也都是最重要的節日之壹。
春節與清明節、端午節、中秋節並稱為中國漢族的四大傳統節日。“春節”壹詞已入選中國世界紀錄協會中國最大的節日，位居中國四大傳統節日之首。2006年5月20日，“春節”民俗經國務院批準列入第壹批國家級非物質文化遺產名錄。
據《爾雅》記載，堯舜時稱年為“載”，夏代稱年為“歲”，商代稱年為“祀”，直到周代才稱為“年”。Spring Festival to the means spring will come, Vientiane vegetation recovery updates, a new round of sowing and harvesting season is beginning. It has just withered vegetation, ice and snow through the long winter, has long been looking forward to the vibrant warmth of spring days, when the Lunar New Year is approaching, will naturally be filled with the joy of singing and dancing to welcome the holiday.
Spring Festival is also called the lunar year, Chinese New Year, Chinese New Year, New Year, commonly known as "New Year, Danian, Guo Danian." Lunar calendar is based on the law of the Moon Yin Qing Yuan to set missing; and the solar calendar is based on the functioning of the Earth around the sun cycles specified. A very long history of the Spring Festival, which originated in the Shang period drew to a close in the first ritual of ancestor worship activities. Ancient Chinese New Year have been specifically refers to 24 solar terms in the beginning of spring, and later changed to who started this first month in lunar calendar (ie, who started the first lunar month), is considered the beginning of the Lunar New Year, namely Suishou. According to China's Lunar New Year, the first month who started in ancient times known Mongol Yuan Chen, Yuan-cheng, Yuan Shuo, New Year's Day and so on, commonly known as New Year's Day.
This is our most solemn people, the most lively one traditional festivals. The traditional sense of the Spring Festival is the eighth day of the wax from the twelfth lunar month festival, or the twelfth lunar month Niansan, Niansi the Jizao, until the end of the first month in the Lantern Festival on the 15th, and even the whole first month, are New Year's Eve and the first lunar month started this as a climax.
Han Chinese New Year is the most important traditional festivals. Chinese New Year this tradition during the holiday season, it held various kinds of celebration activities, these activities are to worship deities, worshiping ancestors, Chujiubuxin, Fu Ying Hei then pray for good harvest as the main content. Yao, Zhuang, white, mountains, Hezhen, Hani, Daur, Dong, Li, Manchu, Mongolian and a dozen ethnic minorities also had the custom of Chinese New Year, but in the form of festivals each with their own ethnic characteristics.
Chinese New Year is celebrated in many East Asian countries and regions, the main New Year's holiday. Vietnamese known as the "T? T Nguyên 0?9n" (Day New Year's Day), Japanese, known as the "first month" (Note: The Japanese Festival, "the first month," that is similar to the Chinese New Year's Day January 1.) (Later renamed the old Meiji Restoration the first month), Korean "?"( This is known as the inherent word, meaning that the New Year). In addition to the Spring Festival is now in China, the Korean Peninsula, Vietnam, Japan and other places outside of Mongolia, Laos, Myanmar, Cambodia, Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia and other places are also the most important festivals.
Chinese New Year and Ching Ming, Dragon Boat Festival, Mid-Autumn Festival known as Han Chinese of the four traditional festivals. "Spring Festival" has been selected for the world record of China Association for China's biggest holiday, ranking first among China's four traditional festivals. May 20, 2006, "Spring Festival" Folk by the State Council approved the inclusion of the first batch of national intangible cultural heritage site.
According to "Er Ya," records, Yao and Shun, said that as the "set" Hsia said that as the "old," Shang said that as the "worship" until the Zhou Dynasty was known as the "years."