2025 Chinese New Year: Welcoming the Year of the Snake with Wisdom and Renewal

By: Hanna Clary

Senior Manager, Tax

Chinese New Year, the Spring Festival or Lunar New Year, is the most significant holiday celebrated throughout Asia and among Asian communities worldwide. This holiday symbolizes fresh beginnings, unity, and goodwill. People welcome this festive season, hoping to usher in good fortunes, including wealth, wisdom, health, and happiness. In 2025, the Chinese New Year is on Wednesday, January 29th.

In China, the twelve zodiac animals that rotate yearly are the rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, sheep, monkey, rooster, dog, and pig, each bringing unique characteristics to define the year ahead. 2025 marks the Year of the Snake, an animal revered for intelligence, elegance, and resourcefulness. Snakes are seen as symbols of transformation and intuition, making 2025 a year anticipated to inspire personal growth, clarity, and renewal.

The History

Around 3,500 years ago, during the Shang Dynasty (1600-1046 BC), people held sacrificial ceremonies to honor gods and ancestors at the beginning or end of each year. This practice evolved during the Zhou Dynasty (1046-256 BC) when it became more common to worship nature for a good harvest at the turn of the year. The date for Chinese New Year was established and fixed during the Han Dynasty (202 BC – 220 AD). Over time, celebration customs and entertaining activities emerged, including getting together with family, setting off firecrackers, watching dragon and lion dances, and lighting lanterns. In modern times, this festivity has transformed from a religious observance into a social celebration. In 1949, Chinese New Year was officially designated as a national holiday in China.

Chinese Mythology

A legendary creature called “Nian” would attack villages on the last day of the year. To protect themselves, people would hide in their homes and prepare a feast to honor their ancestors and the gods, praying for safety and a good harvest. It was also believed that the color red and the noise of fireworks would scare away “Nian.”

The Traditions

Different regions have unique traditions, many of which have been observed for thousands of years. However, one familiar ritual across all locations is returning home to be with family, and a family reunion dinner is essential for this holiday. Additionally, people create and hang couplets featuring auspicious words and decorate their homes with the “fu” character, which represents happiness and blessing in Chinese. When turned upside down, it symbolizes the arrival of good luck. Gifting red envelopes containing money is also a traditional practice during Chinese New Year. These red envelopes are typically given to children by older family members to help them prepare for a safe and prosperous new year. Other customs enjoyed in various regions include making dumplings from scratch, attending temple fairs, and watching lantern shows.

Memories of My Childhood

In the days leading up to this joyous holiday, my family would decorate our doors with red good-luck couplets (Chun Lian) and go shopping for gifts and delicious food to spread blessings and prosperity. I always looked forward to wearing new clothes, visiting my grandparent’s house to play with my cousins, and collecting red envelopes (Hong Bao) filled with lucky money from relatives on New Year’s Eve. Our tradition included playing mahjong and watching the New Year’s Gala (Chun Wan) on TV after enjoying a ten-course dinner (Nian Ye Fan). Staying up past midnight to watch the spectacular fireworks was our favorite moment of the celebration. Even though I am thousands of miles away from where I grew up, I continue to embrace the spirit of Chinese New Year and stay connected to my roots.

More Facts

What do you eat for Chinese New Year?

• Dumplings—They are shaped like ancient Chinese gold ingots. In some regions, people believe that the more dumplings you eat, the more money you will make in the new year. Additionally, making dumplings brings family members together, as it requires a lot of involvement from everyone.
• Fish—In Chinese, the pronunciation of the word “fish” is the same as that of the word “surplus.” Therefore, serving fish during a meal symbolizes having an abundance at the end of the year. Additionally, families often save leftovers to carry over to the next day as a way to wish for a prosperous new year filled with abundance.
• Rice cake—People who eat rice cakes hope for better grades at school or higher salaries at work because “rice cake” sounds like “a high year” in Chinese.
• Spring rolls—This appetizer is served at the table to celebrate the coming of spring. They resemble gold bars, symbolizing increased savings and earnings.
• Longevity noodles—As the name implies, longevity noodles symbolize the hope for good health and a longer life. Their texture is smooth and even, reflecting the expectation of a peaceful year ahead.
• Glutinous rice balls—Commonly served after a family reunion meal on special occasions, including the Spring Festival, Lantern Festival, and Winter Solstice Festival, these round balls symbolize completeness and togetherness.
• Citrus fruits—Mandarin oranges and tangerines are appreciated during the Chinese New Year because their names translate to “success” and “luck.” Their round shape and golden color are popular symbols of fullness and wealth.
• Eight-treasure rice—This traditional Chinese New Year treat includes eight primary ingredients: red dates, longan, winter melon, dried apricot, red bean paste, lily bulbs, lotus seeds, and goji berries. The number “eight” sounds similar to the word for “enrichment” in Chinese. Consuming eight-treasure rice symbolizes a collective wish for prosperity and improvement in the coming year.

How long is the Chinese New Year?

Typically, Chinese New Year is a sixteen-day celebration, starting from Chinese New Year’s Eve and ending with the Lantern Festival when there is a full moon.

Why does the holiday start at a different time each year?

The Lunar calendar is used to determine the date of the Chinese New Year. This calendar is based on the phases of the moon’s synodic cycles, which makes it different from the commonly used Gregorian (or Solar) calendar. Although the date changes yearly, the Chinese New Year usually falls between January 21st and February 20th after being converted from the Lunar to the Solar calendar.

Why is the color red significant? 

In Chinese culture, red is considered a symbol of joy, virtue, and sincerity. As a result, it is commonly used in holiday celebrations, especially during the Chinese New Year, when many garments and decorative items are adorned in red.

Why do people give red envelopes during Chinese New Year?

The custom of giving red envelopes originates from a tale about a mythical monster named “Sui,” who would come out at night to terrify children while they slept. One New Year’s Eve, a child was given coins to play with, and he decided to wrap the coins in red paper as a packet. When he fell asleep, the monster attempted to touch the child’s head but was frightened away by the red packet placed under his pillow. The legend quickly spread throughout the country, and the red envelopes became known as a protective charm against “Sui,” while the coins inside were referred to as “suppressing Sui money.” Since then, giving red envelopes has become an integral part of the New Year’s tradition, aimed at keeping children safe and bringing them good luck. 

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