The Lunar New Year kicks off on Jan. 29, 2025. Here's what to know about the year of the Wood Snake, from the personality traits to the various Snake elements, according to Chinese metaphysics consultant Vicki Iskandar.

While Taylor Swift is a Sagittarius in Western astrology, she's an Earth Snake in Chinese astrology. Here's what her Chinese zodiac birth chart says about her, according to astrologer Lisa Stardust.

The Lunar New Year marks the beginning of spring and the new year on something called the lunisolar calendar. That's a type of calendar historically used in China that uses the moon and the sun to determine dates.

There are generally three types of calendars: the Gregorian calendar, the lunar calendar, and the lunisolar calendar. Each one is used by different cultures and regions around the world to mark time and important events.

On Saturday, the Nassau County Office of Asian American Affairs will host a Lunar New Year’s celebration at the Tilles Center for the Performing Arts at LIU Post in Brookville. Among other cultural exhibits, visitors can view Chinese calligraphy and sugar painting.

To welcome the year of the snake, Tet Fest celebrates with authentic food, music and dances. From Jan. 31 to Feb. 2, the Mary Queen of Vietnam Church in the Village de L'Est of New Orleans East, the state's largest Vietnamese community, transforms into a culinary wonderland, offering traditional fare like pandan waffles and pho.

Wednesday marks the start of Year of the Snake, with the new year based on the lunisolar calendar and celebrated in tandem with a new moon.

It's the first time New York students will have the day off for the Lunar New Year since a new state law was signed in 2023. In 2024, the holiday fell on a Saturday.

Rochester area schools, and those around the state, are off on Jan. 29 to celebrate a holiday for the first time.

Lunar New Year is based on the Chinese lunisolar calendar. It begins with the first new moon and ends with the Lantern Festival on the next full moon, 15 days later. The Chinese zodiac operates on a 12-year cycle of animals. 2025 marks the Year of the Snake.

Parents Diversity Council and the Bedford Free Public Library held a Lunar New Year event on Saturday to celebrate the Year of the Snake.