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Chinese New Year 2025: Key dates, animal of the year, predictions, significance, wishes and greetings to share—all you need to know

Chinese New Year and Lunar 2025 Wishes, Images, Quotes, Significance, Animal of the Year : The 2025 Chinese New Year officially began on Wednesday, January 29, with public holidays starting from Tuesday, January 28.

Happy Chinese New Year 2025! (Source: Freepik)

Chinese New Year 2025: Lunar New Year, also known as Chinese New Year or Spring Festival, is a significant festival celebrated by Chinese and East Asian communities worldwide.

It lasts 15 days, from the end of the first lunar month to the Lantern Festival, which commemorates the first full moon of the new lunar year; thereby beginning a new zodiac cycle based on the Chinese lunar calendar, with each year, the date transitioning within the Gregorian calendar.

Chinese New Year wishes are trending on Google as people celebrate the Year of the Wood Snake, sharing messages of joy, prosperity, and transformation on this auspicious occasion.

As Chinese New Year celebrations begin today, the keyword ‘chinese lunar new year wishes’ is trending on Google today (January 29, 2025). (Source: Snapshot)

People are celebrating it by sharing messages of joy, prosperity, and transformation on this auspicious occasion; here’s all you need to know about the Year of the Snake.

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Chinese New Year 2025: Date

The 2025 Chinese New Year officially began today, January 29, 2025, with public holidays starting from January 28 and going on till February 4, 2025, with the Lantern Festival taking place on Wednesday, February 12, 2025.

Chinese New Year 2025: Animal of the Year

This year, 2025, is the Year of the Snake. (Source: iStock)

Notably, the Chinese years are associated with the 12 animals of the Chinese zodiac, with each year representing a different animal attributed to the person born in the year.

This year, 2025, will usher in the Year of the Snake, symbolising elegance, wisdom, and intuition; and according to Thierry Chow, a feng shui consultant from Hong Kong, this year is poised to bring notable changes.

Chinese New Year 2025: Predictions

Sharing the predictions with CNN, the year of the snake, with its dominant fire element complemented by metal and earth, zodiac signs may lead to increased tensions and disputes.

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Chow emphasizes the importance of vigilance regarding potential accidents as we transition into this period, suggesting that the global environment could experience heightened chaos.

Chinese New Year 2025: Historical Significance and Celebrations

The roots of the Chinese New Year can be associated with an ancient folklore about Nian, a sea monster with sharp teeth and horns, who would come ashore on Lunar New Year’s Eve to cause trouble.

Fearing Nian’s red colour and loud noises, the villagers set off red decorations and firecrackers to scare him away, and this continued to the present day with the same traditions.

Chinese New Year (AP Photo/Wichai Thaprieo)

Also known as the Spring Festival, it’s a family-friendly occasion featuring reunion dinners, feasts, parades, and giving red envelopes filled with money, along with the Lantern Festival celebrated on the 15th day, symbolising reunions, socialising, and freedom.

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