Jaya Chandran, Online Editor
The Chinese New Year follows a calendar that combines both lunar and solar cycles to regulate the year. 2025 is the Year of the Snake. The New Year also coincides with Spring Festival in China and nearby countries over a 15-day period. It culminates with the Lantern Festival on 12 February this year.
In Chinese astrology, the zodiac signs have 12 animals associated with them. 2025 is the Year of the Snake, the sixth animal in the cycle. Each year is also associated with five Chinese elements such as Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal and Water. As a result, 2025 is a Wood Snake Year.
Each animal has special traits and characteristics according to Chinese tradition. The snake is regarded as a symbol of wisdom, intuition, transformation. It is also seen as a symbol of cunningness and stealth in Chinese tradition.
Each Chinese year consists of 12 lunar months, alternating between 29 and 30 days each. The exact date of the Lunar New Year varies each year, as it is linked to the start of a new moon. This differs from the Gregorian calendar typically used in the rest of the world, which begins on 1 January.
Some of the famous people born in the Year of Snake include Bob Dylan, Pablo Picasso, JK Rowling, Oprah Winfrey, Taylor Swift, John F Kennedy, Mohammad Ali, Stephen Hawking, Yasser Arafat, Benazir Bhutto, Chris Martin, Jean-Paul Satre, Billy Eilish, Xi Jinping, and Mao Zedong.