The coming Chinese Lunar New Year, which falls on 29 January 2025, is ‘the Year of the Snake’ (蛇年 shé nián). It is sometimes poetically referred to as the ‘Year of the Small Dragon’ (小龙年xiǎo lóng nián) in Chinese culture. This nickname reflects the symbolic similarities between snakes and dragons, as both creatures are serpentine in shape and hold significant cultural meaning. The Year of the Snake holds special significance in Chinese culture. 

Cultural connotation of the snake

The snake in Chinese mythology and symbolism is often associated with wisdom, intelligence and mystery. It is a complex and fascinating creature. People born in the Year of the Snake are believed to possess qualities such as charm, intuition and resourcefulness. They are thought to be deep thinkers, often seeking knowledge and understanding in all aspects of life. 

The snake’s place in the cycle

Each year in the Chinese zodiac is associated with 1 of 12 animals, of which the dragon is the only sign that is a legendary animal. In the Chinese zodiac, the snake is the sixth animal in the 12-year cycle. According to legend, the Jade Emperor invited animals to a race to determine their order in the zodiac. The snake, using its intelligence, hid on the horse’s hoof and startled it near the finish line, earning its place ahead of the horse. 

Here is a table illustrating the 12 animal signs, corresponding to the years in their most recent cycle and next cycle together with their legendary order: 

Celebrating the Chinese New Year

In Chinese-speaking countries, the Spring Festival (春节 chūn jié) is a general term used to refer to the festival season. This term is likely to replace the English phrase ‘Chinese New Year’ soon, given UNESCO’s recent decision to include chūn jié in its Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

The festival traditionally begins on the first day of the first month in the lunar calendar and ends on the 15th of the lunar calendar. The 15th is known as the Lantern Festival in the West but 圆宵节 yuán xiāo jié (sweet dumpling festival) in Chinese-speaking cultures, when people eat sweet dumplings to mark the end of the Chun Jie celebration. 

The predominant colour for Chinese New Year’s decoration is red. Red paper cut-outs and couplets written on red paper devoted to the popular themes of ‘happiness’, ‘wealth’ and ‘longevity’ are used to decorate windows and doors. Children wear brand new clothes on this day and receive money in red envelopes, known as 红包 (hóng bāo), from their parents and grandparents. 

Learn common new year’s greetings in Chinese 

The most common new year’s greetings are: 新年快乐 (xīn nián kuài lè), 新年好 (xīn nián hǎo) and 恭喜发财 (gōng xǐ fā cái). The first two expressions mean ‘Happy New Year’ while the last one means ‘Wishing you a Prosperous New Year’ and is mostly used in Cantonese-speaking communities and in business circles. If you want to be very clever and say ‘Happy Year of the Snake’, you need to say 蛇年快乐 (shé nián kuài lè). Check out the audio flip cards below to hear the correct pronunciations. 

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