It is ambiguous as to when the start of the year was celebrated prior to the Qin Dynasty. By tradition, the year was believed to have begun with month 1 in the Xia Dynasty, and then month 12 in the Shang Dynasty, and then month 11 in the Zhou Dynasty. Nevertheless, accounts confirm that the Zhou Dynasty commenced its year with month 1. The intercalary months, kept the lunar calendar coordinated with the sun, that were incorporated following month 12 both in the Shang Dynasty as well as the Zhou Dynasty. In 221 BC, the first Emperor of China, Qin Shi Huang altered the beginning of the year to month 10 that changed the position of the intercalary month to following month 9. It was in 104 BC, that Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty founded month 1 as the commencement of the year, where it continues to stay.

Chinese New Year is a public holiday in a numerous countries and territories wherein the Chinese population is sizeable. In compliance to the Gregorian calendar, the Chinese New Year falls on different days each year.

It is also significant to understand that unofficial celebrations, that span over a period of several weeks ahead of and subsequent to the official declared holidays. Many a times, several businesses work in 'holiday mode’; those are times when important business decisions or negotiations aren’t taken.