Hundreds of millions gathered Wednesday in homes and crowded festivals to mark the beginning of the Chinese lunar calendar new year, ringing in the Year of the Snake with feasts, dances, firework shows and traditional festivals.
Key Facts
The first new moon of the lunar calendar officially ushered in the new year in many cultures Wednesday, marking the imminent arrival of spring and the first day of the Year of the Snake, which symbolizes good luck, rebirth and regality.
There are 12 zodiac animals in Chinese astrology and each is associated with one of the five elements—the snake of 2025 is a wood animal, which represents growth, flexibility and tolerance.
People born in the year of the snake are said to be resilient and courageous, with strong interpersonal skills and leadership qualities, and the snake is considered to be the most tenacious of the 12 zodiac animals, with some counting people born these years as sinister and intimidating.
Get Forbes Breaking News Text Alerts: We’re launching text message alerts so you'll always know the biggest stories shaping the day’s headlines. Text “Alerts” to (201) 335-0739 or sign up here.
What Is The Lunar New Year?
The Lunar New Year, or Chinese New Year, celebrates the start of the traditional lunisolar Chinese calendar. The first day of the Chinese New Year is marked by the first new moon that appears between Jan. 21 and Feb. 20 and it’s marked by a series of customs and traditions.
How Is The Chinese New Year Celebrated?
Chinese households are thoroughly cleaned before the official start of the holiday to rid the home of the previous year's bad luck and usher in good luck for the coming year. Red, the color of joy and good fortune in Chinese culture, starts to appear on freshly painted doors, in decorations and in lanterns hung across the country. Formal celebrations typically start with a family reunion and dinner the night before the new year, and new years day is marked by large gatherings of family and friends who give oranges, gifts and red envelopes of money to mark the occasion. Public celebrations include festivals with lion dances, firework shows, prayers for prosperity and feasts including traditional holiday foods like sweet and sour pork, shrimp, dumplings, spring rolls, tangerines and whole fish. The fifteenth day of the new year is celebrated as the Lantern Festival.
Who Celebrates The Lunar New Year?
The occasion is one of the largest and most attended of any in Chinese culture and it’s also celebrated in Vietnam, Korea, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines and Singapore, among other countries.
What Are The Chinese Zodiac Animals?
The twelve animals of the Chinese zodiac are the rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, goat, monkey, rooster, dog and pig. The cycle repeats itself in the same order every 12 years and each animal is celebrated for its unique characteristics and reputed attributes. The dragon, for instance, which was celebrated in 2024, represents power, strength, good luck and wisdom. Past years of the snake were 2013, 2001 and 1989.
Surprising Fact
The Lunar New Year is responsible for the world’s largest annual migration and hundreds of millions of people travel from big cities to their hometowns in celebration.
No comments:
Post a Comment