Bidding farewell to the mythical Dragon, the world welcomes the Year of the Snake on January 29 — the first day of the Lunar New Year. For those who celebrate this ancient festival, starting the year on a positive note is essential.

This year, Lunar New Year begins today, Wednesday, Jan. 29, and ends Feb. 12. Lunar New Year, also widely regarded as Chinese New Year since the late 19th century when it gained global recognition through Chinese immigrant communities, is a centuries-old tradition rooted in the lunar calendar.

How will each zodiac sign experience the year 2025, ruled by the Wood Snake, according to Chinese horoscope predictions?

This ancient Chinese festival is a time to put everything from the previous year in the past and look forward to all that will come in the new year. For those who participate in this two-week celebration,

Many Chinese who work in bigger cities return home during the eight-day national holiday in what is described as the world's biggest annual movement of humanity.

Across the world, hundreds of millions of people are welcoming the Year of the Snake as they celebrate the Lunar New Year with fireworks, family time and festive dances. In north and Southeast Asia, from China to Indonesia,

The first new moon of the lunar calendar officially ushered in the new year in many cultures Wednesday, marking the imminent arrival of spring and the first day of the Year of the Snake, which symbolizes good luck,

Lunar New Year festivals and prayers marked the start of the Year of the Snake around Asia and farther afield on Wednesday — including in Moscow. Hundreds of people lined up in the hours before midnight at the Wong Tai Sin Taoist temple in Hong Kong in a bid to be among the first to put incense sticks in the stands in front of the temple’s main hall.