As the calendar turns to 2025, billions of people around the world will welcome the Lunar New Year on Wednesday, January 29, marking the beginning of the Year of the Snake. This vibrant celebration, steeped in history and tradition, is a time to honor family, embrace new beginnings, and usher in good fortune. The Lunar New Year, also known as Chinese New Year or Spring Festival, is celebrated in many cultures across Asia, including China, Vietnam (Tết), Korea (Seollal) and beyond. It’s based on the lunar calendar, meaning the date changes each year. This holiday represents a fresh start, much like January 1 does in the Gregorian calendar.
The Year of the Snake
Each year is associated with one of the 12 animals in the Chinese zodiac, and 2025 is the Year of the Snake. In Chinese culture, the snake symbolizes wisdom, intuition, and elegance. Those born in a snake year are often thought to be deep thinkers and highly determined.
Traditions and Festivities
The Lunar New Year is a time for family reunions, delicious feasts, and vibrant cultural traditions. Here are a few highlights:
- Cleaning and decorating: In the days leading up to the holiday, families clean their homes to sweep away bad luck and make room for good fortune. Red decorations, lanterns, and calligraphy with messages of prosperity adorn homes and streets.
- Red envelopes: Elders gift red envelopes (hongbao) filled with money to children and younger family members as a gesture of luck and blessings.
- Lion and dragon dances: Performers bring good luck to communities with energetic dances accompanied by drums and cymbals.
- Family togetherness and honoring elders/ancestors is an important element.
Republic Services respects the dignity and unique potential of every employee. We are better together. Let’s celebrate the Year of the Snake with the spirit of renewal, collaboration, and positivity. May this year bring wisdom, success, and happiness to all!
AAPI at Republic supports the Asian American & Pacific Islander community and allies. Their mission is to create an inclusive community to provide professional networking for employees with an intent to grow, recruit, and retain AAPI talent while fostering a deeper understanding of the cultures within the AAPI community.
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Happy Lunar New Year from AAPI.
Did you or your Business Unit celebrate the Lunar New Year? If so, we’d love to see your photos. Please send all photos to bluenation@republicservices.com.