The Spring Festival is known in the West as Chinese New Year, in China itself the New Year's Eve is called "Chu-xi". It is the oldest and most important traditional festival for Chinese people, and features family reunions and the mass migration of people. The Spring Festival falls on the 1st day of the 1st lunar month, often one month later than the Gregorian calendar..

In 2021, the week-long Spring Festival holiday falls between February 11 and 17. Sunday, February 7 and Saturday, February 20 are designated as official work-days to partially offset the seven days off for the Spring Festival.

In response to recent outbreaks of COVID-19 in China, the government has advised citizens to minimize unnecessary travel to prevent the spread of the virus, while all localities are requested to guarantee services during the upcoming Spring Festival. Zhao Chenxin, secretary-general of the National Development and Reform Commission, said the choice of many people to stay where they are currently residing to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus will significantly reduce the movement and gathering of people and facilitate work and production resumption after the holiday.