Chinese Lunar New Year 2025 Begins – Year of the Snake
The first day of the Chinese New Year - the Year of the Snake - falls on 29 January this year. Also known as the Spring Festival or Lunar New Year, the holiday that marks the arrival of spring is one of the most important holidays in Chinese culture, celebrated by millions of people around the world, and widely observed in China and several East Asian countries.
The celebration will begin on 29 January and last for 15 days, culminating in the Lantern Festival on 12 February.
In the Chinese zodiac, the snake is associated with wisdom, charm, elegance and transformation, and people born under this sign are considered to be very wise, intuitive and charming.
Families traditionally gather at this time to share delicious meals, and children are often given money in red bags known as ‘hong bao’.
The beginning of the lunar year also marks the rotation of the Chinese zodiac, which takes place over a 12-year cycle, each represented by an animal.
One legend has it that the Jade Emperor, an important Chinese deity, invited all the animals to the ‘great race’ and the first 12 won his favour: rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, goat, monkey, rooster, dog and pig.
Each year, an animal is associated with one of the five elements - wood, fire, earth, metal or water. So, to be more precise, 2025 is the year of the forest snake.
In this New Year, particularly lucky zodiac signs include Tigers, Rabbits, Dragons and Snakes, who will experience development, adventure and success in 2025.
In the Christian tradition, the serpent also plays a key role in the story of the creation of Adam and Eve. After Eve's temptation to eat the forbidden fruit, the serpent became synonymous with sin and moral decline. Nevertheless, the serpent's role in this story also introduces the themes of redemption and salvation that are integral to Christian theology.
In modern science, snake venom is used to create medicines that combat, among other things, high blood pressure and heart disease, thus linking its ancient associations with healing and rejuvenation to modern healthcare innovations.
Celebrity snakes include Chinese Prime Minister Xi Jinping, American singers Taylor Swift and Billie Eilish, British physicist Stephen Hawking, South Korean singer and creator of the Gangnam Style dance Psi, as well as American talk show star Oprah Winfrey, British writer and creator of the Harry Potter series J.K. Rowling, whose main antagonist Voldemort belonged to the Slytherin house and whose assistant was the snake Nagini.
