Chinese New Year 2025: traditions and symbols of the holiday

Today, January 29, 2025, marks the Chinese New Year, which will begin the year of the Green Wooden Snake according to the Chinese calendar. It is one of the biggest holidays in China and many other countries where the Chinese diaspora lives, UNN reports .

One of the peculiarities of the Chinese New Year is that it does not have a specific date, but is celebrated every year between January 21 and February 20.

For example, this year's Chinese New Year falls on January 29, and will be celebrated for two weeks. And the celebration will end with the traditional Lantern Festival, which this year will be on February 16.

In addition, Chinese New Year is also considered a spring holiday.

When and how the holiday originated

The traditions of celebrating the Chinese New Year are based on mythology. 

One of the main legends that explains the origin of this holiday is the story of a monster named Nian. According to ancient beliefs, this terrible creature came at the end of winter, on New Year's Eve, broke into Chinese villages, ate cattle and killed people. To scare away the Nian, people began to use loud noises, such as beating drums, shooting firecrackers, lighting fireworks, and decorating their homes with red objects, as red in Chinese culture symbolizes good luck and protection from evil spirits. It is because of this tradition that Chinese New Year celebrations are accompanied by bright fireworks and red lanterns.

Main character

The symbol of the Chinese New Year 2025 will be the Green Wooden Snake.

The Year of the Snake, which combines the elements of wood and the animal Snake, promises a period of great change that will require people to be adaptable and ready for transformation. The tree, which symbolizes new life, growth, and change, indicates a time to set new goals, change approaches, and open new horizons. The snake, in turn, is a symbol of wisdom, flexibility, and opportunity. It is associated with understanding, intuition, and the ability to make strategic moves that can lead to powerful transformations.

Five main traditions of the Chinese New Year

• House cleaning 

Chinese people clean their homes on the eve of the holiday to get rid of all the negative things from the previous year and to attract good luck and prosperity.

• Family dinner 

Chinese New Year is an occasion to spend time with family over a festive dinner, symbolizing unity and family well-being.

• Fireworks and firecrackers 

A tradition that aims to ward off evil spirits and attract good luck.

• Traditional dishes 

The dishes on the Chinese New Year's table also have a special and symbolic meaning. For example, dumplings symbolize wealth, and fish symbolize abundance.

• Red envelopes with money 

It is very interesting that the tradition of gift giving is not very common in China. The traditional gift is Ya-sui qian, which is money in special red envelopes that are usually given to children.