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

Across the world, hundreds of millions of people are welcoming the Year of the Snake as they celebrate the Lunar New Year with fireworks, family time and festive dances. In north and Southeast Asia, from China to Indonesia,

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

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,

This year, Lunar New Year begins today, Wednesday, Jan. 29, and ends Feb. 12. Lunar New Year, also widely regarded as Chinese New Year since the late 19th century when it gained global recognition through Chinese immigrant communities, is a centuries-old tradition rooted in the lunar calendar.

How long are Lunar New Year festivities? What is the Chinese Zodiac? Here's what to know as the Year of the Snake celebrations begin in Stockton.

From Beijing to Hanoi and Moscow, the holiday — known as the Spring Festival in China, Tet in Vietnam and Seollal in Korea — is a major festival celebrated by diaspora communities around the world. Wednesday marks the start of the Year of the Snake, one of 12 animals in the Chinese zodiac.

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.