The 2025 Chinese new year celebrated alongside the lunar new year falls on January 29th . Marking the end of winter and the beginning of the spring season, Chinese New Year celebrates looking to the future for new beginnings with themes of happiness, health family, and good fortune. This Chinese new year marks the arrival of the Wood Snake, a rare and meaningful combination that appears only once every 60 years. This year of the Snake signifies introspection, subtle power, and transformative growth. It embodies a quiet yet potent and sometimes lethal energy capable of illuminating hidden paths and fostering deep emotional and spiritual understanding. Its strategic, resourceful nature makes it an excellent year for long-term growth. Come with me and slither through this blogpost to learn how to welcome the lunar new year and coil up with the energy that it holds.
First, what is the Chinese new year
Of all the traditional Chinese festivals, the new Year was perhaps the most elaborate, colorful, and important. This was a time for the Chinese to congratulate each other and themselves on having passed through another year, a time to finish out the old, and to welcome in the new year.
The Chinese New Year is a festive celebration at the beginning of the Chinese calendar new year. It has a long and exciting history, and there are many wonderful traditions, meals, and activities to be enjoyed during the holiday. It is also a chance for families to clean their homes and set forth their intentions for the new year.
The Chinese New year can also be called by other names as well, like the spring festival due to it’s timing with the changing of the seasons and it ushering in spring. It also known as the lunar new year since it starts on a new moon and is based on the lunar calendar.
When is the Chinese new year celebrated?
The Chinese New year is celebrated on the first day of the First Moon of the lunar calendar. The corresponding date in the solar calendar varies from as early as January 21st to as late as February 19th. This year it falls on January 29th 2025. Chinese New Year, just like the Western new Year, signifies turning over a new leaf and starting something new. Socially, it is a time for family reunions, and for visiting friends and relatives. This holiday, more than any other Chinese holiday, stresses the importance of family ties and bonds.
Traditionally, the holiday lasts sixteen days. The first week is considered a public holiday, and the sixteen days are split into different parts of the celebration. For example, the Lantern Festival is generally hosted on the 15th day, and is one of the most looked-forward-to events. The Chinese New Year is teeming with unique traditions and mythologies. The celebrations includes beautiful outfits, delicious food, and lots of colorful decorations and entertainment. Each region of China and Chinese cultures around the world have their own unique traditions and ways of encouraging hope, prosperity, and positivity for the new year.
History of the Chinese New Year
The history of Chinese New Year dates back over 3,500 years. Each unique religion and culture around China has its own mythology and tradition related to the Chinese New Year, but most stories agree that it has to do with appeasing ancient deities.
One of the most popular myths associated with the celebrations of the near has to do with a mythical beast. Nian, a mythical beast, would appear during the Spring Festival and eat the villagers every single year. Than one year an old man appeared in the village and hung red paper lanterns and decorations, and set off fireworks to scare him away. When the villagers returned to the town, they saw that Nian had not destroyed it, as in previous years. Red decorations and clothing became associated with the holiday, and thus, the tradition of setting off fireworks for the holiday evolved, as well.
Much of the history is also rooted in praying to the gods for a good harvest since Chinese culture is deeply rooted in agriculture.
Common traditions for the Chinese new year
Sweeping of the Grounds
Preparations for the Chinese New Year in old China started well in advance of the New Year’s Day. The 20th of the Twelfth Moon was set aside for the annual housecleaning, or the sweeping of the grounds Every corner of the house must be swept and cleaned in preparation for the new year. Spring couplets written in black ink on large vertical scrolls of red paper, were put on the walls or on the sides of the gate-ways. These couplets, short poems written in Classical Chinese, were expressions of good wishes for the family in the coming year. In addition, symbolic flowers and fruits were used to decorate the house, and colorful new year pictures (NIAN HUA) were placed on the walls (for more descriptions of the symbolism of the flowers and fruits.
Family Celebration
On the last day of the old year, everyone was busy either in preparing food for the next two days, or in going to the barbers and getting tidied up for the New Year’s Day. Tradition stipulated that all food be pre-pared before the New Year’s Day, so that all sharp instruments, such as knives and scissors, could be put away to avoid cutting the “luck” of the New Year. The kitchen and well were not to be disturbed on the first day of the Year.
The New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day celebrations were strictly family affairs. All members of the family would gather for the important family meal on the evening of the New year’s Eve. Even if a family member could not attend, an empty seat would be kept to symbolize that person’s presence at the banquet. At midnight following the banquet, the younger members of the family would bow and pay their respects to their parents and elders.
Lai-See
On New Year’s Day, the children were given Red Lai-see envelopes , good luck money wrapped in little red envelopes. On New Year’s day, everyone had on new clothes, and would put on his best behavior. It was considered improper to tell a lie, raise one’s voice, use indecent language, or break anything on the first day of the year. Starting from the second day, people began going out to visit friends and relatives, taking with them gifts and Lai-See for the children. Visitors would be greeted with traditional New year delicacies, such as melon seeds, flowers, fruits, tray of togetherness, and NIANGAO, New Year cakes.
There are a few guidelines for the money in red Lai-see envelopes. Only clean, unwrinkled bills should be put in red envelopes; it’s considered in poor taste to include old or wrinkled bills. Red Lai-see envelopes should contain even amounts of money and certain numbers are considered more auspicious than others. The amount of money shouldn’t have the number four in it (eg. 4, 40, 44, etc), because the word for “four” sounds like the word for “death” and is considered unlucky. However, it’s considered lucky to have amounts of money with the number eight in it, because the word for “eight” sounds like the word meaning “to prosper”.
Firecrackers Are Set Off
At the beginning of the legend, firecrackers were used to scare away the monster Nian from the village in order to protect the villagers. Many of the Chinese legends tell of using fireworks to scare away”evil” spirits and to prevent poor luck in the new year.
In modern times, fireworks are used to both symbolize the ancient tradition and also to evoke a celebratory mood. All of the firecrackers set off during the Chinese New Year celebration are red, to invite all the good luck. It is also a way to express happiness and joy. In fact, Chinese New Year is the event with the greatest number of fireworks released every year—upwards of a billion!
Lion dance
The lion dance is another one of the Chinese New Year symbols that originated from the story of Nian. Except in this version of the story, instead one one man scaring away the monstrous Nian, the whole village came together to bang on pots to make noise, and to create a large lion that would scare Nian away. The Chinese New Year lion dance honors this story by having people play percussive instruments (drums symbols and gongs) while two people perform a dance in an elaborate lion costume. One person acts as the head of the lion, and the other person acts as the body, performing acrobatic movements to mirror way a lion would move in time with the music. The dance begins with the lion asleep. Once he is woken up by the instruments, the lion shakes, gets up and beings playing.
He then becomes hungry and begins to search for food. This hunt for food is called “plucking the greens”, during which he searches high and low to retrieve auspicious foods like lettuce and mandarin oranges which are attached to red envelopes. He eats the lettuce and oranges and “spits out” good fortune to everyone nearby, keeping the red envelopes for the dancers. The lion dance is thought to ward off evil spirits and bring prosperity and good fortune to everyone nearby, especially those who catch the food that the lion “spit out”
Dragon dance
Like the lion dance, the dragon dance is another one of the Chinese New Year symbols that ushers in prosperity and good fortune for the coming year, and wards off evil spirits. While the dragon dance also involves music and movement the two dances are very different. Instead of using two people like the lion dance, the dragon dance uses many people. The size of the dragon dances vary, but usually have over 9 people.
Each person is holding a pole which is supporting part of a serpent-like dragon body. One person stands in front of the dragon, holding a ball attached to pole which represents a “Pearl of Wisdom”. The person holding the pearl uses it to lead the dragon around on a quest for wisdom, knowledge and truth. The people puppeteering the dragon body have to follow the pearl, in time with the percussive elements of the music.
Lucky Chinese New Year foods
Gathering with family to share a meal and leaving food offerings for ancestors are important traditions during the Spring Festival. All of the foods chosen are Chinese New Year symbols that each have a special meaning that corresponds with a wish for the new year.
- One important Chinese New Year foods you’re bound to see is fish. The word for “fish” sounds like the word for “surplus” so whole fish are eaten to usher in abundance in food and wealth for the coming year. In addition to being served whole, images of fish are also used as decorations to attract abundance.
- The shape of dumplings (also called jiaozi) resemble the yuanbao, which was a type of ancient currency made from ingot (silver, gold or other metal). Eating dumplings is thought to attract wealth. The more you eat, the wealthier you are believed to become.
- Tang yuan is a traditional Chinese New Year dessert which is served during the Lantern Festival consisting of sweet rice balls with a black sesame filling. Their name and round shape signify family unity and togetherness.
- Tangerines and oranges on Chinese New Year are believed to bring luck and wealth for the coming year because the word for “tangerine” sounds like the word for “luck”. The golden color of oranges and tangerines also correlates to wealth.
- Another golden food that symbolizes wealth is the spring roll, also called chun juan. Not only does their color resemble wealth, but their shape is also looks like gold bars.
- Make sure not to cut your noodles if you normally do so, because eating long, unbroken noodles in the dish called longevity noodles is believed to encourage longevity in life. It’s also bad luck to cut anything during Chinese New Year, because it is viewed as cutting off your luck.
- Fa gao, also known as “prosperity cake” or “fortune cake” is a popular dessert made from rice flour and steamed until the top splits. The more sections formed by the split in the top denotes how lucky a person will be in the coming year.
- Another lucky dessert, nian gao or “year cake” is made from sticky rice flour and can be sweet or savory. The name of this dessert sounds just like the words for “higher year” which symbolize progress, success and a better year than the last.
The importance of wearing red
Red is associated with the colors used to scare away the monster Nian, but it also has other meanings as well. Traditionally, it stands for good luck in Chinese culture and is used to keep away any spirits who might harbor bad fortune. Wearing red is traditional for Chinese New Year, in order to welcome in the new year with good fortune, but you can also wear bold or bright colors for the celebratory mood, as well. You’ll also want to decorate with red around your home. Decorations include paper cuttings, which are intricate and narrative. They often represent symbols from mythology or of good blessings for harvest. Other decorations include Door Gods, red lanterns, calligraphy fortunes, paintings, and more.
The importance of the FU character
The Chinese fu character, meaning good fortune and blessings, is one of the most commonly found Chinese New Year symbols. It is written on a red, diamond shaped piece of paper, which is often hung upside down on the outside of the front door. The reason these fu papers are hung this way is because the word for “upside down” is similar to the word “arrive”. Hanging the fu character upside down signals that good fortune and blessings will arrive at your home for the new year.
The Chinese Zodiac
Chinese Zodiac animals are another one of the important Chinese New Year symbols. Each year is assigned one of the twelve animals in the Chinese Zodiac in a very special order. This order is determined from one of the most well known Chinese mythological tales. The twelve animals of the Chinese Zodiac are; the Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, and Pig. The tale that tells us their order is the great race and it goes like this. The story goes that the Jade Emperor, the ruler of heaven and earth, held a race to create a calendar and a way to measure time. This race was a call to his dear animal friends to race across the river to him when upon their arrival they would a special meal and celebration together. There are a few different version for the telling’s of what actually happens during the race. But below is the most commonly accepted version for the results.
The rat and the cat were good friends, but they were poor swimmers. They asked the ox to carry them across the river, and he agreed. However, the rat tricked the ox by pushing the cat into the river and then leaping onto the ox’s head to finish first. The ox came in second place followed by a wet tiger after that. The rabbit was having a hard time hopping from stone to stone across the river, when suddenly a log floated by. The rabbit hopped onto the log and it drifted him quickly to shore. Little did the rabbit know that just behind him was the dragon. The dragon saw the little rabbit in need and graciously blew wind to carry the log all the way to shore. The Jade emperor was curious and asked the dragon why it came in fifth place when it could fly. It turns out, the dragon had been distracted from the race by a village that was in drought. The dragon provided rain to save the village then continued the race and was declared the fifth zodiac animal by the emperor. The snake, hid in the horse’s hoof to cross the river, then jumped out to scare the horse into seventh place. Next, a raft floated up to the finish line carrying the friendly ram, the playful monkey and the talkative rooster. The three of them had teamed up and crossed the river together. So, ram was eighth, monkey ninth, and in tenth place was the rooster. The dog, made it across the river, but spent too much time playing in the water and came in eleventh. The pig Stopped to eat and fell asleep, finishing in last place. The Jade Emperor assigned the pig the final space in the zodiac
It may sound odd but, if you want to get a really deep look at this tale and how each zodiac animal really manifests in humans there actually is a really amazing anime about it. Go check out fruit baskets.
The year of the snake
The snake, being the sixth animal in the zodiac, is set to take center stage in 2025. The Year of the Snake is associated with transformation, renewal, and spiritual growth. Snakes are known for their ability to shed their skin, symbolizing the process of letting go of the old and embracing the new. Snakes are everything you aspire to be: smooth, sneaky, and completely unbothered by the opinions of others. They’re the passive-aggressive MVPs of the animal kingdom. They slither through life with the grace and determination to get to there next goal. Never being afraid to strike out with a venomous bites to protect yourself and your way of life. The snake is also a symbol of wisdom, cunning, and adaptability. This year with the influence of the snake you can expect new opportunities and challenges that will test our skills and resilience. This year of the Snake signifies subtle power, and transformative growth. It embodies a quiet yet potent energy capable of illuminating hidden paths and fostering deep emotional and spiritual understanding. Its strategic, resourceful nature makes it excellent for long-term growth. I am just about done with a special guide to dive into this snake energy for the year specifically. So, keep an eye out for that coming in just a bit!
How the element wood affects the snake
When it comes to the Chines New year not only is there an animal associated with each year but, also an element that dominates that years energy. This year we find ourselves in the element wood alongside the snake. Wood represents the energy of growth, and is known for it’s flexibility that paired with the energy of the snake makes this a year of massive transformative energy. The last time we had a wood snake year was 1965 — the Vietnam War, the space race and the first space walk, Malcolm X’s assassination, the civil rights movement and the race riots, and the Beatles and the Rolling Stones tour the world. The snake’s strategic and introspective nature is complemented by the element of wood, which fosters growth, balance, and connection with nature. In the Year of the Wood Snake, the “Wood” element signifies a period of increased growth, flexibility, and creativity. Essentially, the Wood element softens the Snake’s typically reserved nature, adding a layer of compassion and a desire to nurture new beginnings. The influence of wood encourages our creative and innovative sides while the snake’s energy provides us with the strategic insights necessary to achieve our goals.
The Chinese new year and duality
Since, I am a grey witch I look for the duality in every single energy I work with including sacred times like the Chinese new year. Even though this is a holiday and celebration focused on family, good luck, and prosperity which is a very wanted energy there is a duality to this celebration. Remember the myth we talked about with Nian? The mythological beast that came up from the ocean each year to eat villagers. That story reminds us that this time of the year is a liminal time where the veil is thin and protection from unwanted entities and spirits is needed. It also reminds us that often when we are celebrating our precious time with our families we are also reminded of a time we almost lost them or the ones we did lose already.
Correspondences for the Chinese New year
First, what is a correspondence? A correspondence is an item or symbol that is meant to connect you to a specific energy thru it’s representation. It is seen also as an item to respect, honor, and venerate that energy as well whether it be a deity, an archetype energy, the zodiac energy the moon is currently or for A holiday or sacred time like the Chinese/ Lunar New year. I will list below for you to use. Remember this is not an all encompassing list and there may be other correspondences to use. Just follow your intuition and use what calls to you.
- Planet- Jupiter
- Animal-Snake
- Element- wood
- symbol- lanterns, zodiac animals, lai-see envelopes, couplets, fireworks, fu character, plum blossoms
- colors-red, gold, white, black
- Herbs/flowers-bamboo, fennel, cinnamon, star anise, Szechuan pepper, cloves, ginseng, Chrysanthemum, goji berries, peace lily, money plant, Anthuriums, bay leaves, Jade plants, peach, plum, Kumquat
- Stones/ crystals-ruby, garnet, citrine, amethyst, peridot, jade, sapphire, clear quartz, aquamarine, black pearl, moonstone
- Deities-The Year God: Also known as Tai Sui, Door Gods: Also known as Menshen, The Three Star Gods: Also known as Sanxing, The God of Wealth: Also known as Caishen, The Kitchen God, The City God, who is said to be the reincarnation of a human official from an earlier time
- Food/drinks-Tang yuan, fish, dumplings, spring roll, also called chun juan, Fa gao, also known as “prosperity cake, nian gao or “year cake”, tangerines, plums, peaches, fruit, shrimp, chicken
How to celebrate the Chinese new year with the snake
Marking the end of winter and the beginning of the spring season, Chinese New Year celebrates looking to the future for new beginnings with themes of happiness, health, and good fortune. The New Year is frequently regarded as an occasion to gather and feast together as a family at a reunion dinner to honor household and heavenly deities, as well as ancestors. However, you choose to celebrate the chines new year and work with its energy just follow your intuition and do what feels right for you. Let’s take a look at some of the many different ways you can celebrate and work with the energy of the Chinese new year.
- create an altar for your ancestors and leave offerings for them
- Graveyard magic
- Spread prosperity and good luck by handing out lai-see red envelopes
- Read the myths and legends of the Chinese zodiac
- Learn about the culture and region of the China
- Perform lunar magic to welcome in the lunar new year
- Sweep your entire home, declutter, deep clean, reorganize
- hang up decorations like paper lanterns, couplets, and the color red
- Practice calligraphy and you can even use it to create sigils to welcome in the lunar new year
- Host a family get together eating traditional lucky foods
- Cleansing and purification magic
- Transformation spells
- Do release work to let go of the past year and shed your old skin
- work with the snake in your spells, rituals, and represent it on your altar
- introspection and reflection based on transformation, creativity, and shedding old skins like shadow work. If you would like to learn more about shadow work you can purchase my eBook here; you can book me for a 1:1 session as your guide here; and you can watch my free class previously taught on it through Divination here.
- Set off some fireworks
- Attend a lion or parade dance if you can
- Divination like pulling cards
- Good luck and abundance spells
- host a family reunion
- Give thanks and practice gratitude for the past year
- Use the venom and bite of the snake to protect yourself with protection magic and baneful magic like hexes, curse, binding
- Creativity express yourself with the snake
- be flexible and adaptable with your plans and way to reach your goals like the wood and snake
- Bathe in the moonlight
Final thoughts on the energy of 2025
2025 isn’t here to hold your hand or sing you a lullaby. It’s here to remind you that you’re a witch. You are a powerful and sovereign entity dammit, and sovereign beings don’t crumble, they conquer. So shed your old skin, step into your power, and slither into this year like the unapologetic, venomous conqueror you were always meant to be. Remember while you do this to never be afraid to show your teeth and strike with a venomous bite if someone gets in your way and threatens your way of life. Be fluid and slither with grace to get to where you need to go and don’t be afraid of the paths in the shadows. The shadows may be mysteries and dark but, in them wisdom can hide. We have a big year full of so much energy that is dynamic, and confrontational unfolding in front us. We won’t be able to slither and hide in the shadows from our purpose, our power, and our true identities anymore. But, we can use them to heal, transform, and find new paths in the dark. This is a year we will be forced to remove masks by completely shedding our skins. We will be forced to uncoil from a place of safety and warmth to find our true way in the world in and new creative way. We will be forced to stand up show our venomous bite and even strike back with a lethal blow when the timing is just right.
Have you been feeling stuck, emotionally unstable, missing joy in your life, or having a hard time connecting to yourself and your magic? Do you want to start the new year from a different headspace? I have the answer for you to start out this new year from a place feeling grounded, present, and ready to manifest your dream life. Come join me for this special one time only two day event teaching you how to integrate the practice of Mindfulness to your magic and life!
What is mindfulness? Mindfulness is the practice of purposely bringing one’s attention to the present moment without judgment. It allows you to move from just existing in life to thriving, get back to wise mind, create a place to heal and grow in, and most important of all, align you with joy while creating a life where you truly thrive! This skill is a core skill in DBT, the therapy that changed my life! To register for this special two day event visit the link below! https://www.paypal.com/ncp/payment/JY5UBMB2TA27L
Come join me for community, knowledge, and to restore the enchantment of magic in yourself and life today!
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About Me : I have been a solitary grey magic practitioner for 15 + years. First and foremost, I consider myself a mystic and seeker of all knowledge. I am dedicated to the restoration, and re-enchantment of Magic in society, across this realm, and in each and every soul I come across in life! I am here to create a container that promotes healing, duality, and raw authenticity. I do this by guiding you on your personal journey to understanding your unique magic and sacred contracts. I facilitate this for you through embracing your shadow, duality and learning to live in energetic balance while not wearing a mask. When you work and learn from me you do so from your “darkness” as much as your “light” and in a way to truly harness and accept it not to just go thru it on the way to your light. But, I teach you how to truly embrace it, work with it, and use it alongside your light as a partner. I hold up a mirror for you to be able to see your authentic reflection looking back. Then have the courage to take the next step and do the uncomfortable but vital inner work to completely remove your mask. By facing all of your past wounds, traumas, and hurts. Allowing you to see both the dark and light within your story and take each chapter and alchemize it into something that is so powerful. your unique internal flame will shine so bright you will always be able to go within and find it on a dark cold night. You will learn how to truly live in duality and energetic balance to allow growth, and alignment with your sacred contracts and purposes. to finally move on and truly let the things that hold you back in this life from healing and manifesting go. To see everything I offer; like personalized shadow work sessions, womb healing, eBooks for you to work through on your own, Tarot sessions for guidance and more! Go to my shop!
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