This Lunar New Year, it’s time to slither into the Year of the Wood Snake.
Kicking off during the first new moon of the year, the Lunar New Year is a 15-day celebration that is beloved by many Asian communities.
Because the Chinese calendar is based off the traditional lunar calendar and hence uses the moon’s phases to determine time, the Lunar New Year often comes a bit later than the solar calendar’s Jan. 1 marker, which recognizes one year as it relates to the Earth’s full rotation around the sun. And this year, Lunar New Year begins Jan. 29.
Each Lunar New Year is also marked by one of 12 animals—this year being the Year of the Wood Snake, which follows 2024’s Year of the Dragon. Additionally, the 12-year zodiac cycle is also always assigned one of five elements—Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal or Water. And depending on which element accompanies the zodiac, certain traits can be said of the year ahead.