Chinese Lunar New Year 2025: What does the Year of the Snake mean, people who are born in it, and more

Chinese Lunar New Year 2025: The auspicious festival of Lunar New Year is celebrated with pomp by East Asian communities around the globe, especially in countries like China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macau, Singapore, Vietnam, and Korea. It is also one of the most important festivals in Chinese culture. The festival marks the end of winter and the beginning of spring. Lasting 15 days, the Lunar New Year ends with the Lantern Festival, also known as the Chinese Valentine's Day.

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The festival will begin on the first day of the New Year, which is on January 29. Meanwhile, in 2025, the Lantern Festival will take place on February 12. Some people also observe the festival for 16 days, beginning with Chinese New Year's Eve on January 28.

Chinese Lunar New Year 2025: Year of the Snake

2025 marks the year of the Snake. The Chinese zodiac calendar is best described as a 12-year cycle represented by 12 different animals - Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog and Pig. This means that those born in 2025 will be snakes. In Chinese culture, snakes are considered both the symbols of harvest, procreation, spirituality, and good fortune, as well as cunning, evil, threat, and terror.

Per Chinese cosmology, each year is also associated with one of the five basic elements, namely gold, wood, water, fire, and earth, which create a 60-year cycle. Therefore, 2025 is also known as the Year of the Wood Snake. The Wood Snake is charming, intelligent, and creative but also secretive, cunning, and sometimes ruthless. The last Wood Snake year was 1965.

Chinese Lunar New Year 2025: People born in Year of the Snake

People born in the Year of the Snake are often seen as resourceful, self-reliant, and determined to overcome challenges. Years of the Snake include 2025, 2013, 2001, 1989, 1977, 1965, and 1953, with the next Snake year in 2037. Meanwhile, while 2024 was the Year of the Dragon, 2026 will be the Year of the Horse.

About the 15 days of the Lunar New Year

The celebrations begin by visiting family and relatives to give red packets during the Lunar New Year. Following the first day, people busy themselves preparing offerings for ancestors, burning incense to worship God, visiting friends and relatives, eating lavish meals with family, and enjoying festivities.