Lunar New Year's Day 2024 in Philippines

Lunar New Year is considered to be the most important festival for the Chinese community in the Philippines. It does not follow a fixed date in the Gregorian calendar, which is widely used in many countries. The celebration stretches to about 15 days with varied observations each day.

Is Lunar New Year's Day a Public Holiday?

Lunar New Year's Day is a public holiday. It is a day off for the general population, and schools and most businesses are closed.

In 2024, it falls on a Saturday, and some businesses may choose to follow Saturday opening hours.

What Do People Do?

Filipino-Chinese communities in the Philippines celebrate Lunar New Year every year in hope of attracting prosperity, closer family ties and peace. Most Filipino-Chinese families usually clean their homes thoroughly, prepare lucky money in red envelopes, serve sweet foods and display various food and fruits on a table, which is believed to invite good fortune. People also participate in parades and dragon dances that are organized in China Towns in different cities in the Philippines.

Public Life

Lunar New Year is not an official holiday in the Philippines so all establishments remain open. However, some streets in several China Towns in different cities may be closed to honor this celebration.

Background

Small Chinese communities existed in the Philippines since the Spanish regime, which lasted for more than 300 years dating back from the 16th century. As time progressed, the Chinese communities grew due to intermarriage among Filipino natives and other races, including the Chinese. As the population grew, so did the grandeur of the Lunar New Year celebration.

Lawmakers have proposed to make the Lunar New Year a legal public holiday. However, there is still debate that adding another holiday in the Philippines could be detrimental to the economy due to the increasing holiday incentives. The Republic Act 9492 dictates that for every legal non-working holiday, all working establishments should give incentives or overtime pay to their employees.

Symbols

The mythological Chinese dragon is the main symbol of Lunar New Year. Other symbols include firecrackers that are believed to drive off bad luck and the Tikoy, a Chinese sticky sweet treat that symbolizes the attraction of good luck.

About Lunar New Year's Day in Other Countries

While we diligently research and update our holiday dates, some of the information in the table above may be preliminary. If you find an error, please let us know.