By Charly SHELTON

n America and many westernized countries worldwide, the coming New Year is celebrated on Jan. 1, the beginning of the Gregorian calendrical cycle. In China, the widely used calendar is the lunar calendar, based on the phases of the moon. It is very foreign and complicated to the uninitiated but it has more in common with the more familiar Gregorian calendar than one might think.

The Chinese lunar calendar puts the start of the New Year on the beginning of the first month of spring, with the first new moon. The days and months are tracked to the moon’s cycles, so the new moon starts the month. The year is divided by the phases of the sun in the more ancient solar calendar, which is now used in concert with the lunar calendar, and is more closely tied to an agricultural schedule of weather than day length.

The Gregorian calendar was developed by Pope Gregory XIII in 1582 as a 0.002% adjustment from the widely used Julian calendar developed by Julius Caesar in 46 B.C., which was an adjustment on the Roman calendar, used since the foundation of Rome and adjusted many times. The Roman calendar, although purportedly developed by Romulus, the mythical founder of the city, is actually just a minor adjustment on an ancient Greek calendar, a lunar calendar. The months are arbitrary starting dates, but are mostly observed as 30 or 31 days to reflect the 29.5 day cycle of the moon. The Gregorian calendar starts its new year on Jan. 1, the beginning of the first month closest to the winter solstice.

So the main difference is that Gregorian calendars begin the New Year in winter and the lunar calendars begin in the first appearance of spring-like weather.

Whichever calendar you ascribe to, the festival is the important part. Whether celebrating with the ball drop or the paper lantern flights, the New Year is a time of celebration. Universal Studios Hollywood is honoring this lunar New Year with a special nod to our friends from the East.

The Lunar New Year Festival is going on now and features some classics of the holiday right in the middle of the upper lot at Universal Plaza. The entranceway is decked out in red paper lanterns and banners welcoming the year of the fire rooster. Cherry blossom trees stand around the courtyard with red slips of paper tied to the branches, each with a wish for the coming year. Mandarin-speaking Megatron greets guests for a cool photo-op and guests can snack on the biggest fortune cookies ever sold in the park.

The most unique update to this year’s edition of the annual festival is the inclusion of Po and Tigress from “Kung Fu Panda,” who have come out to greet guests. And while not new this year, it is always nice to see Curious George and Woody Woodpecker out greeting as well, donning traditional Chinese dress.

This festival is a nice little touch for anyone celebrating the holiday with family or just interested in a multi-cultural experience. The official date of the Lunar New Year is Jan. 28, but the festival at Universal Studios Hollywood runs now through Feb. 5.

  Charly Shelton