Lunar New Year, often called the Spring Festival or Chinese New Year, is the most important holiday in China and many other Asian communities. Every year is marked by a different animal and 2025 is the Year of the Snake.

This week’s new moon, on Wednesday, Jan. 29, will signal the beginning of the Chinese Lunar New Year, which this year is called the "Year of the Snake."

The legend of the 12 animals in Chinese New Year comes from a poem about mythical creatures aiding spring's arrival