Lunar New Year celebrations begin Wednesday. Here's everything to know about the 2025 Lunar New Year, the Year of the Snake.

Over 1 billion people celebrate the holiday, which marks the transition from cold winter to a season of renewal and ushers in one of 12 Chinese zodiac signs.

The Lunar New Year usually starts sometime between late January and mid-February. This year, the festivities begin on Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2025, marking the arrival of the Year of the Snake. In mainland China, official celebrations last for seven days as a public holiday.

One well-known ancient legend speaks of Nian, a hideous monster that feasted on human flesh on New Year’s Day. Because the beast feared the color red, loud noises and fire, people put up red paper dragons on their doors, burned red lanterns all night and set off firecrackers to frighten and chase away the monster.

Celebrated across Asia and beyond, it marks the start of a new year based on the cycles of the moon rather than the Gregorian calendar, when the majority of the United States and

When is Lunar New Year in 2025? And why do people wear red as part of the celebrations? Answers to these questions and more as we say goodbye to the Dragon and enter the Year of the Snake.