Celebrate Lunar New Year 2025 (January 29, 2025 - February 12, 2025), the Year of the Snake!
Lunar New Year
Lunar New Year, or Spring Festival, celebrates the arrival of spring and the start of a new year based on the Chinese lunisolar calendar, which simply means that the Chinese calendar relies on both moon and sun cycles to calculate dates. Other Asian countries with Chinese influence also celebrate Lunar New Year with festivals and family gatherings.
The Year of the Snake
The Snake is a symbol of calmness and introspection in Chinese culture. In Chinese mythology, Snakes are clever and strategic. People born under the Snake are known for their wisdom, intuition, and mystery. They are excellent problem-solvers and skilled communicators.
Celebrating the Lunar New Year
Traditionally, the Lunar New Year is celebrated for fifteen days with symbols and activities of good fortune and prosperity: red decorations, house cleaning, shopping in open-air markets, and, of course, fireworks! People perform Dragon Dances and Lion Dances, in which dancers wear large, elaborate costumes and tell a story through dance. Children receive gifts of money or candy in red envelopes for good luck. On the final day of the holiday, called Lantern Festival, people have tangyuan, sweet glutinous rice balls, and children carry lanterns to light up their neighborhoods at night.
- How to say "Wishing you a prosperous year!"
- Simplified: 恭喜发财! "Gong Xi Fa Chai!" (Mandarin)
- Traditional: 恭喜發財! "Kung Hei Fat Choy!" (Cantonese)
Learn More
Houston-area Lunar New Year Celebrations
How Lunar New Year is celebrated around the world
Children's (elementary, middle grade, young adult) books about Lunar New Year and Snakes, by and about Asian authors and characters.
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