Chinese New Year, also known as the Spring Festival or Lunar New Year, is celebrated by millions of people with Chinese backgrounds across the globe. This year, the holiday starts on Feb. 12 and lasts for 16 days. It is extremely important in Chinese culture and includes many traditions that connect people back to their roots. "To me, Chinese New Year is partly to preserve what’s left of me for the Chinese part of my culture because I’m born in America," freshman Karissa Yang said.