The Lunar New Year kicked off in China overnight on Wednesday or at 4 p.m. GMT on Tuesday.
The Green Wood Dragon, last year’s symbol, is officially out, and the Green Wood Snake is in, TASS reported.
Chinese New Year traditions
The Chinese New Year is tied to the lunar calendar so each year it falls on a different date, usually somewhere between late January and late February. It is also called the Spring Festival or Chunjie in China.
Before the holiday, it is necessary to thoroughly clean your home in order to sweep away any bad mojo along with the trash. Red, representing luck and joy, dominates the festival's decorations. Streets are adorned with red lanterns, while homes display red couplets with festive wishes and the character for "happiness," often pasted upside-down. This upside-down "happiness" is a play on words in Chinese, as it sounds like "happiness has arrived."
On the eve of the Spring Festival it is customary to gather around the family hearth and ring in the New Year with your loved ones. This tradition stems from a legend about a monster ruining crops and devouring cattle and residents. People found out that the monster is afraid of fire, the cracking of bonfires and the color red. In order to chase it away, they got together, decorated their houses with red objects and tossed bamboo sticks into a bonfire to produce loud cracking sounds. This gave root to the tradition of staying up the night before Chunjie, decorating houses with red objects and setting off fireworks.
Today, however, fireworks are not allowed in large Chinese cities. Major cities in China introduced this ban primarily for safety reasons because fireworks may cause injuries and fires. For example, in 2009, China Central Television headquarters in Beijing caught fire because of a fireworks mishap.
Prosperity is at the heart of the Spring Festival. The holiday spread must not include any porridge because this is viewed as poor-people food. The table must be filled with all sorts of delicacies, the more kinds of meat, the better. Fish must be among the dishes because the word in Chinese sounds similar to the words "excess" and "abundance." Children receive a red envelope with money for toys and sweets. On New Year’s, the Chinese wish each other wealth and prosperity.
In Chinese astrology, 12 zodiac signs follow in succession. For example, next year will be the Year of the Red Fire Horse. Every time, each sign is combined with one of five elements of the natural world: metal, wood, water, fire or earth. Each element is coupled with a certain color: white, green, black or blue, red and yellow. Thus, there is a 60-year cycle where the Snake, for example, may be white and metal, green and wood, black (or blue) and water, red and fire or yellow and earth. The last year of the Green Wood Snake was celebrated in 1965.
A snake - or a little dragon, as it is called in China - for the Chinese is associated with wisdom, creativity, adaptability and prosperity. In Chinese culture, it does not carry any prominent negative connotations as it does in the West. This sign is related to the Yin force, the female dark passive metaphysical principle. In Chinese mythology, mother goddess Nuwa is portrayed as having the head of a human and the body of a snake.
It is believed that those born in the year of the Snake (1941, 1953, 1965, 1977, 1989, 2001, 2013, 2025) possess such qualities as wisdom, creativity, good intuition, charm, calmness, resolve and caution.
In China, under the sign of the Snake were born Lu Xun, the founder of modern Chinese literature (1881), "Great Helmsman" Mao Zedong, (1893), famous actress Gong Li (1965) and current Chinese President Xi Jinping (1953). Famous people born in the year of the Snake also include political leader Mahatma Gandhi (1869), director Yury Norshtein (1941), conductor Valery Gergiev (1953) and politician Dmitry Medvedev (1965).
What to expect this year
According to the Chinese horoscope, this will not be an easy year for those born under the sign of the Snake. They may encounter difficulties at work and face financial issues, so they must remain optimistic and be flexible in order to cope with problems and achieve success.
Those born in the year of the Horse will be fortunate in professional and personal life while those born under the sign of the Goat should expect wealth and professional growth. For those born in the year of the Monkey the coming year will be relatively stable, they will be able to make new acquaintances and achieve success with the help of their well-wishers.
People born in the year of the Rooster will get the opportunity to get rich and receive a professional promotion if they work hard. Surprises and financial growth await those born in the year of the Dog. People born under the sign of the Pig must be tactful and cool-headed to avoid conflicts.
Stability awaits those born in the years of the Rat and the Ox. Rats may become successful as entrepreneurs and improve their relations with colleagues, friends and relatives. Oxen will have a productive year if they put their minds to it.
Things won’t be easy for those born in the year of the Tiger. In order to cope with difficulties they will have to work hard or keep a low profile. The year of the Snake will bring luck to those born in the years of the Rabbit and Dragon and their hard work will be rewarded.