The Year of the Wood Snake Begins

Did you know today, Jan. 29, is the first day of the Chinese New Year? 

Chinese New Year, also known as the Lunar New Year and the Spring Festival, doesn’t start on a set date because it’s based on the Chinese lunisolar calendar. The New Year begins whenever the new moon rises between Jan. 21 and Feb. 20. 

Among other traditional ways to celebrate, families gather together on New Year’s Eve for a reunion feast. Red is considered a lucky color, so people decorate their homes with red items, including lanterns and wall hangings, for the New Year.

It is auspicious to wear red clothing on New Year’s Day. People also give red packets (known as “hongbao”) containing money to their kids and younger relatives to wish them luck and good fortune for the year.   

2025 is the Year of the Snake, with wood as the element. In Asian belief, the snake isn’t sinister. Rather, it’s associated with beauty, wisdom and introspection. The snake is also associated with yin energy, which is more contemplative and cautious compared to yang energy, yin’s polar opposite. 

The wood element is about growth, learning and collecting information. 

Based on those characteristics, this year will be about taking stock, exercising caution, and adapting for continued growth.  

One special taboo comes with the Year of the Snake. Try not to kill any snakes in 2025, because that brings bad luck.

Wishing you health, wealth and happiness in the New Year! 

Click here if you'd like to learn about the folklore behind Chinese New Year.

Click here to read about the Chinese lunisolar calendar.

Need some positive energy for the New Year?

What would feng shui experts Junie Soong and Joe Tham, the main characters of my Geomancer’s Apprentice series, suggest?

Start by eliminating items that give off negative energy or impede energy flow in your house or personal space. 

These include: 

• Dying plants—either nurse them back to life, or compost them if they’re too far gone.
• Clutter, unless cleared, will lead to trapped and stagnant energy.
• Broken stuff gives off negative energy. Fix them, or get rid of them. 
• Objects with negative vibes, including photos that remind you of unhappy times, or art depicting violence or sadness. It’s best not to have such items in your home. To promote good feng shui, choose things that reflect positivity and happiness. 

Make it your New Year’s resolution to invite good energy in, and kick bad energy out.