Lunar New Year 2025: From lucky foods to traditional greetings, we answer your Year of the Snake questions

SAN FRANCISCO — The Lunar New 12 months, also referred to as the Spring Pageant, is predicated on cycles of the moon and falls on a special day yearly. In 2025, the 12 months of the Snake begins on Jan. 29. It marks the beginning of a brand new lunar calendar and is a celebration of the arrival of spring.

It’s identified to Asian communities all over the world by completely different names, probably the most generally used being Chinese language New 12 months or Chinese language “Chunjie,” largely by the Chinese language diaspora all over the world. Different names embrace Vietnamese Tet, Korean Solnal and Tibetan Losar.

Lunar New 12 months celebrations in Chinese language tradition sometimes go for 15 days, culminating in a lantern competition on the ultimate day.

KGO-TV in San Francisco is the official residence of the 2025 Chinese language New 12 months Parade. Watch it on Saturday, February 15 wherever you stream ABC7.

What’s the Lunar New 12 months?

The Lunar New 12 months – referred to as the Spring Pageant in China, Tet in Vietnam and Seollal in Korea – is a serious competition celebrated in a number of Asian international locations. In Taiwan, this yr, individuals have been drawn to the White Snake Temple to pay their respects. In Indonesia, it’s celebrated with dragon puppets and drum shows. It’s also extensively noticed by diaspora communities all over the world.

It begins with the primary new moon of the lunar calendar and ends 15 days in a while the primary full moon. As a result of the lunar calendar is predicated on the cycles of the moon, the dates of the vacation differ barely every year, falling between late January and mid-February.

What does the 12 months of the Snake imply?

Snakes are considered with each concern and reverence in Chinese language tradition. On the one hand, venomous snakes are related to darkness. However in Chinese language mythology, snakes are also referred to as “little dragons,” and the pores and skin they shed is called “the dragon’s coat,” symbolizing good luck, rebirth and regeneration. The snake additionally symbolizes the pursuit of affection and happiness. In Chinese language tradition, they’re grouped with the turtle and crane as a logo of longevity.

This yr, retailers in China and elsewhere are producing lanterns, mushy toys and different merchandise the place the snakes have googly eyes and goofy smiles so they seem cute and cuddly, and do not scare away younger celebrants.

How Lunar New 12 months is well known

Spring cleansing is a typical observe of these celebrating the season. Gearing as much as usher in good luck and welcome success for the yr is seen as an vital observe earlier than the brand new yr arrives.

Staying up late to ring within the new yr, very like it’s performed in American tradition can also be frequent. Nonetheless, fireworks and firecrackers, together with lion and dragon dances, are all considered further components to chase away evil spirits and frighten dangerous luck away.

Gifting purple packets stuffed with crisp greenback payments to youngsters and the aged is one other vital hallmark of the season. The purple packets symbolize good luck, the greenback payments should make up a spherical, even quantity and the act of giving and receiving one alerts an change of a blessing.

“Fortunate meals”

Dottie Li, cross-cultural skilled and Voice and Voice Coach of Rosetta Stone’s Mandarin merchandise, explains, “There are some objects which might be must-haves reminiscent of fish, tofu, bok choy and naturally, noodle soup – a conventional meal of alternative. The noodles are believed to deliver good luck, the fish rhymes with having leftovers, the bok choy and tofu symbolize peace and safety.”

Relying on the area and nation, different meals are staples reminiscent of candy glutinous rice muffins (nian gao), sticky rice balls (tang yuan) and tik ko ladoo, a crispy ball of sesame seeds and toffee.

Greetings

Household visits and meet ups with buddies, very like the American Thanksgiving, are central to the Lunar New 12 months.

Chinese language individuals greet each other with auspicious sayings and phrases to want one another well being, wealth, and success after they meet throughout this era.

Conventional greetings embrace:

• Gong Xi Fa Cai: could nice wealth and affluence be with you.




• Chu Ru Ping An: journey protected out and in of your own home.




• Bu Bu Gao Sheng: could you be promoted each step of the best way. Could you regularly develop and elevate.

Lunar New 12 months in California

The 12 months of the Snake for 2025 would be the third Lunar New 12 months celebrated in California as an official state vacation. California is the primary state within the U.S. to acknowledge the vacation in an official capability, an act by the state to point out its solidarity with the Asian American neighborhood by the wave of anti-Asian hate and violence that grew after the COVID-19 pandemic.

MORE: Huaxing Arts Group goals to take heart stage at 2025 SF Chinese language New 12 months Parade opening ceremony

In 2022, California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a invoice declaring Lunar New 12 months as a state vacation. In his signing message, he wrote that this act, “… acknowledges the variety and cultural significance Asian Individuals deliver to California and gives a chance for all Californians to take part within the significance of the Lunar New 12 months.”

Could you might have a affluent and wholesome Lunar New 12 months!

The Related Press contributed to this text.