How I will celebrate the Year of the Snake by Jun Yi
An image of me
Chinese New Year, also known as Lunar New Year, is the most important festival for Chinese people around the world. Celebrations are marked by numerous activities, that often span the entire 15 day festival period. The scale and range of Chinese New Year festivities are beyond imagination— in 2024, the total number of cross-regional trips made by Chinese people within the country to celebrate the festival reached 2.293 billion, not even including those living overseas!
An example of a “reunion meal” at Chinese New Year
So why is it so popular? Here’s my thoughts! The long held tradition of bidding farewell to the old year and welcoming the new, the precious time spent with beloved family and friends, and not least, the longest holiday of the year from working or studying! lol. From my personal experience, as someone who lived far from home when studying in Beijing, the Spring Festival was a precious opportunity for a reunion with my family. It's a time when I feel blessed to share all the joys and tears of the past year with them. Particularly, 2024 was a special year for me because I was born in 2000, the Year of the Dragon. This suggested that good luck and fortune would bless me throughout the year, which, in hindsight, was true as I started my exciting and smooth journey here in Leeds 🙂
2025 will be the Year of the Snake, one of the animals in the Chinese Zodiac. People born in the Year of the Snake are believed to possess certain characteristics and traits associated with the snake, such as intelligence, wisdom, charm, and intuition. I know some Westerners may not like the snake, but in China it is considered a symbol of wisdom and mystery. Another interesting point is that greetings for the Spring Festival often incorporate the Zodiac animal of that year. For example, this year’s greetings will include the element of the snake, such as “灵蛇献瑞” (Líng shé xiàn ruì), meaning the spirit snake presenting blessings.
An image of a traditional red envelope (of course they can be sent digitally as well now)
Besides sending blessings to friends and family, Chinese people also send red envelopes, either in physical form or via WeChat (an app similar to Whatsapp). To be fair, this is my favorite part of the New Year celebrations, who wouldn't enjoy receiving money! In my family, as long as you haven't started earning a salary, you are taken care of by the elder members through the tradition of sending red envelopes. This usually takes place on New Year’s Eve, when all family members gather around the table to enjoy a fancy dinner, with the TV showing the Spring Festival Gala. It's a scene full of laughter, whispers, clinking glasses, and warm voices. Among all the cheerful and meaningful activities, including making dumplings, setting off fireworks, and visiting relatives, my favorite part is visiting family members. Most of them work or live in different parts of the country, but return home for the New Year. This big family reunion during the festival allows us to meet, greet, and share our own lives and experiences. New Year itself is undoubtedly of great importance, but I personally believe that it’s the people you celebrate with who make the festival even more enriched. This year I will celebrate with my new colleagues at the Confucius Insititute, who have definitely become amazing friends!
Me with my beautiful colleagues who I will celebrate this year with!
As we welcome the Year of the Snake, I am filled with gratitude and excitement for the memories yet to be made. The essence of Chinese New Year lies not just in the traditions and festivities, but in the love and connection we share with our family and friends. May this new year bring wisdom, charm, and countless blessings to everyone. Happy Chinese New Year!