Lunar New Year, often called the Spring Festival or Chinese New Year, is the most important holiday in China and many other Asian communities. Every year is marked by a different animal and 2025 is the Year of the Snake.

Communities across the world begin celebrating Lunar New Year on Jan. 29 — and 2025 marks the Year of the Snake.

Lunar New Year celebrations begin Wednesday. Here's everything to know about the 2025 Lunar New Year, the Year of the Snake.

Celebrations vary from culture to culture, but typically on the first day of Lunar New Year people visit the senior members of their extended family. One of the most recognizable celebrations is lion dance troupes, a dramatic tradition meant to usher in the New Year and expel evil spirits.

Firecrackers, parades and prayers marked the Lunar New Year as millions around Asia and farther afield celebrated

It’s the Lunar New Year! As of January 29, 2025, we have officially entered the Year of the Snake. Lunar New Year — which includes Chinese New Year, Seollal in Korea, Tet in Vietnam and more — begins on Wednesday, kicking off more than two weeks of celebrations.

Asian American communities around the U.S. and around the world are ringing in the Year of the Snake Wednesday, including in New York City. The Lunar New Year, also known as the Chinese New Year or Spring Festival,

If you want to greet your relatives or impress your friends, here are some popular Mandarin and Cantonese phrases, and how to pronounce them.

Among China’s traditional holidays and celebrations, none ranks higher in importance than the Lunar New Year (農曆新年). Also known as the Spring Festival (春節), or simply Chinese New Year, it marks the beginning of the year according to the traditional lunar calendar.

To welcome the year of the snake, Tet Fest celebrates with authentic food, music and dances. From Jan. 31 to Feb. 2, the Mary Queen of Vietnam Church in the Village de L'Est of New Orleans East, the state's largest Vietnamese community, transforms into a culinary wonderland, offering traditional fare like pandan waffles and pho.

Your best bets for this weekend also include the Denver Jewish Film Festival and a free podcast with Leo Tanguma, the DIA muralist.

In the Chinese zodiac, 2025 is the Year of the Snake. Different countries across Asia celebrate the new year in many ways and may follow a different zodiac.