UN chief Ban Ki-Moon wishes a Happy Chinese New Year to the world on TV on February 7.[Photo/Xinhua]

Chinese New Year becomes official holiday

"Chinese New Year is not just for the Chinese, it's international," comments China Press UAS on February 15.

As the number of Chinese who live overseas increases, more and more countries begin to set the Spring Festival as official holidays. For example, the New York State of America issued the first day of Chinese Lunar month as day off work in 2004; Indonesia did the same in 2002 while people in the Philippines began to enjoy an extra national holiday for the Chinese New Year since 2005.

So far, more than 10 countries have made Chinese New Year a national holiday and even for those that haven't, festive celebrations and greetings are still bustling and loud. A number of national leaders sent their new year wishes, often in mandarin, to Chinese residents near and far while celebrities, such as sport stars, also conveyed their greetings via media.