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Hundreds of millions across Asia are celebrating the Lunar New Year, which began on January 29th, 2025; this year it’s the Year of the Snake. The Year of the Snake symbolizes wisdom, intelligence, and intuition. People born under this sign are known for their thoughtfulness and strategic mindset.
Millions across Asia celebrate the Lunar New Year, bidding farewell to the Year of the Dragon and welcoming the Year of the Snake. This annual festival is marked by family reunions, temple visits, fireworks, and cultural performances.
Grand Festivities and Traditions
In China, the 2025 Spring Festival grants eight consecutive public holidays. Families gather to share meals, watch traditional performances, and set off firecrackers to drive away evil spirits. Red decorations adorn cities, symbolizing prosperity and good fortune.
People across East and Southeast Asia, including South Korea, Vietnam, Singapore, and Thailand, decorate shopping malls, offices, and homes with red banners believed to bring luck. In Taiwan, thousands flock to temples to make offerings of fruits and sweets, light incense, and pray for a prosperous year.
Chen Ching-yuan, a temple visitor in Taipei, shared, “Our tradition is to visit the temple and pray for a smooth, peaceful, and healthy year.”
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Record Travel Rush Amid Festivities
The holiday period sparks the world’s largest annual migration. In China alone, travelers are expected to take about nine billion trips by train, bus, and plane. For weeks, millions have packed airports and train stations as they return home to celebrate with loved ones.
In South Korea, heavy snowfall has caused disruptions to travel plans. Local media reported traffic jams on major highways. Meanwhile, passengers at Seoul’s main train station carried gifts wrapped in colorful cloth.
For many, the holiday is an opportunity to travel abroad. Incheon International Airport in South Korea expects over 2.1 million travelers between January 24 and February 2. It sets the record for the highest Lunar New Year passenger count since the airport opened in 2001.
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Year of the Snake: A Celebration Beyond Earth
The Lunar New Year spirit even reached space. Chinese astronauts aboard the Tiangong space station sent New Year’s greetings in a video message. They all wore blue jumpsuits decorated with traditional red patterns. They held paper cuttings of the Chinese character “fu,” symbolizing good luck.
“In the new year, may all your dreams come true,” astronaut Wang Haoze said while forming a heart shape with his hands.
People believe that the Year of the Snake brings wisdom, determination, and transformation. As millions celebrate, they embrace the hope of a prosperous and joyful year ahead.
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