The Lunar New Year usually starts sometime between late January and mid-February. This year, the festivities begin on Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2025, marking the arrival of the Year of the Snake. In mainland China, official celebrations last for seven days as a public holiday.

Much of the world, and people in Western New York, celebrates Lunar New Year, which is Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2025.

Lunar New Year starts this week, marking an important holiday in China and other Asian communities. Lunar New Year celebrations can last up to 15 days, starting on the new moon between late January and mid-February. The exact date varies each year based on the lunar calendar.

The Lunar New Year, also known as the Chinese New Year or Spring Festival, is a traditional Asian celebration that has been observed in for thousands of years. Every winter, Asian communities around the world ring in the Lunar New Year with carnivals, food, family gatherings, parades and more.

In many Asian cultures, the Lunar New Year is a celebration marking the arrival of spring and the start of a new year on the lunisolar calendar

The holiday — known as the Spring Festival in China, Tet in Vietnam and Seollal in Korea — is a major festival celebrated by diaspora communities around the world