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

Firecrackers, parades and prayers marked the Lunar New Year as millions around Asia and farther afield celebrated

Asian American communities around the U.S. and around the world are ringing in the Year of the Snake Wednesday, including in New York City. The Lunar New Year, also known as the Chinese New Year or Spring Festival,

Celebrations have begun in Colorado and bring the "Year of the Snake." The snake is the sixth animal in the Chinese Zodiac symbolizing complexity, mystery, and transformation. The snake is also about wisdom,

It’s the Lunar New Year! As of January 29, 2025, we have officially entered the Year of the Snake. Lunar New Year — which includes Chinese New Year, Seollal in Korea, Tet in Vietnam and more — begins on Wednesday, kicking off more than two weeks of celebrations.

Wisps and clouds of smoke rose into the air at Buddhist and Daoist temples around Asia on Wednesday as people lit incense to pray for good luck in the Year of the Snake.

The Chinese zodiac corresponds to various years people were born, and each animal is believed to influence the lives of people born in that year. The Year of the Snake is seen as one of renewal and regeneration and aligns with people born in 1941, 1953, 1965, 1977, 1989, 2001, 2013 and 2025.

To welcome the year of the snake, Tet Fest celebrates with authentic food, music and dances. From Jan. 31 to Feb. 2, the Mary Queen of Vietnam Church in the Village de L'Est of New Orleans East, the state's largest Vietnamese community, transforms into a culinary wonderland, offering traditional fare like pandan waffles and pho.

Also known as Chinese New Year, it marks the beginning of the lunar new year based on the lunar calendar, typically falling between Jan. 21 and Feb. 20.

Show Caption1 of 18 The Thien Long Lion Dance Troupe performs during the Asian Garden’s 2025 Lunar New Year Firecracker Show in Westminster, CA, on Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2025. The Lunar New Year party had firecrackers,