The Lunar New Year, also known as the Chinese New Year or Spring Festival, is a traditional Asian celebration that has been observed in for thousands of years. Every winter, Asian communities around the world ring in the Lunar New Year with carnivals, food, family gatherings, parades and more.

For skywatchers, the Lunar New Year lines up perfectly with the new moon. According to NASA, the new moon becomes official at 7:36 a.m. Wednesday when it passes between the Earth and the Sun.

Over 1 billion people celebrate the holiday, which marks the transition from cold winter to a season of renewal and ushers in one of 12 Chinese zodiac signs.

From lucky foods to traditional greetings, we answer your questions about Lunar New Year as we enter the Year of the Snake.

According to the Chinese lunar calendar, 2025 is the Year of the Wood Snake, symbolizing wisdom, intuition and mystery. This year’s Lunar New Year begins on January 29, for the 16-day Spring Festival also known as Chinese New Year.

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

The Lunar New Year usually starts sometime between late January and mid-February. This year, the festivities begin on Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2025, marking the arrival of the Year of the Snake. In mainland China, official celebrations last for seven days as a public holiday.

In many Asian cultures, the Lunar New Year is a celebration marking the arrival of spring and the start of a new year on the lunisolar calendar

Celebrated across Asia and beyond, it marks the start of a new year based on the cycles of the moon rather than the Gregorian calendar, when the majority of the United States and