春节是中华民族最盛大的传统节日，在中国至少有三千年的历史。传统意义的春节从正月初一开始，至少要持续三五天，宽泛地说，从初一到元宵节都是春节。正月初一在古代称为正旦、元正、元日、元旦，民国以后改称“春节”，而“元旦”则用来称呼公历1月1日。新中国成立后，沿用春节名称，从此春节成为对农历大年的称呼。

　　The Spring Festival, which had a history of at least 3,000 years, is the grandest traditional festival in China.
　　The Spring Festival in traditional sense started from the first day of the first month in the lunar calendar and lasted for at least 3 to 5 days. In a broadened sense, it lasts from the first to the fifteenth day, the Yuanxiao Festival. The first day of the first month in the lunar year was also called Zhengdan, Yuanzheng, Yuanri or Yuandan in ancient China. After the period of the Republic of China, the festival was called the Spring Festival and Yuandan became the festival for January 1 st in the Gregorian calendar. And the new People’s Republic of China continues to use the name of the Spring Festival; hence it becomes the festival for the New Year in the lunar calendar.