The Lunar Year: Year of the Snake

Photo courtesy of Photo Editor, Faith Zatlukal

In Asia and Asian communities worldwide, the Lunar New Year represents a fresh start for those who celebrate.

Widely considered to be the most important event in the year for many in Asia and Asian communities worldwide, the Lunar New Year represents a fresh start for those who celebrate. Fireworks, music, fairs, lanterns, and dragon and lion dancing filled streets across Asia as celebrations lasted over an approximate 15-day span. 

Chinese New Year has a history of about 3,500 years. Its exact beginning date is not recorded. Some people believe that the Chinese New Year originated in the Shang Dynasty (1600–1046 BC) when people held sacrificial ceremonies in honor of gods and ancestors at the beginning or the end of each year. This year, the Lunar New Year began on Jan. 29, and communities across the United States and worldwide are holding celebrations. China's most important holiday— the Lunar New Year —is also “…widely celebrated in South Korea, Vietnam, and other countries where Chinese residents make up significant parts of the national population,” according to the National Museum of Asian Art. 

According to the lunar calendar, each new year is associated with one of 12 animals in the Chinese zodiac, and 2025 marks the Year of the Snake. Different regions in Asia may not follow the same zodiac observed in China, and “…many Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders do not observe the Chinese/lunar zodiac,” continued the art museum. 

The Lunar New Year begins with the lunar calendar's first new moon and continues through the first full moon, which falls 15 days later. The new moon usually happens between mid-January and early February, so the new year begins on different days depending on the year. Each year in the lunar cycle is associated with a particular animal, like the ox, the tiger, the rabbit, or, as it was last year, the dragon. According to the Chinese Language Institute, the Year of the Snake represents a period of transformation, introspection, and growth. 

Commemorated through 15 days of cultural festivities, Lunar New Year activities are often centered around various forms of art and cuisine, which can be enjoyed at home and in public forums. Experts say the core focus of Lunar New Year celebrations is to bring families together. 

Many people on the Geneseo campus take part in celebrating the Chinese New Year. Several different events and meetings were happening during the week. One example was RAs in the residence halls organizing events for their residence, such as origami activities. Another example was the Chinese Cultural Club, where they had their first meeting during the week and celebrated the New Year. 

Again, this year is the Year of the Snake, so these activities and events have been focused on that. “The positive qualities attached to the snake are anchored in two folklore tales,” describes Johnathan H. X. Lee, an Asian and Asian American studies professor at San Francisco State University. His research focuses in part on Chinese folklore; in the story of the creation of the Chinese zodiac, the snake was once a four-legged, happy creature who became angry after other animals isolated him because of his appearance. Blaming the Jade Emperor for treating him that way, the snake’s anger morphed into physiological changes, like growing fangs, and prompted him to snap at the other creatures.