In brief
Around the world, the Lunar New Year is celebrated with vibrant customs, symbolizing family and prosperity for the year ahead.
More than a billion people across the globe are marking the start of the Lunar New Year, with festivities kicking off on Tuesday, January 28, 2025. This year, the celebrations welcome the Year of the Snake, coinciding with the first new moon that heralds the arrival of spring. As traditions unfold, preparations involve families gathering for large meals, participating in ancient rituals, and enjoying spectacular fireworks displays.Renowned for its cultural significance, the Lunar New Year, referred to as Seollal in South Korea and Tet in Vietnam, represents the most paramount holiday in various Asian nations. The holiday spurs the world's most extensive annual migration, as hundreds of millions travel from urban areas back to their hometowns, facing crowded roads, train stations, and airports.The festivities are rich in diversity but share common themes of familial connection, prosperity rituals, and culinary extravaganzas. Families visit temples to offer traditional foods and light incense in remembrance of their ancestors. In China, a well-loved custom sees children receiving red envelopes filled with money as blessings from their elders. Meanwhile, across Southeast Asia, lively dragon dances are performed in the streets to attract good fortune and blessings for the coming year.As people bid farewell to the Year of the Dragon, the vibrant celebrations emphasize unity, joy, and renewal as the Year of the Snake begins.
