Lunar New Year: The significance of the Year of the Wood Snake
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Chinese foik artist Gu Yeguang creates a snake-shaped lantern to celebrate The Year of the Snake. Photo: VCG/VCG via Getty Images
Asian communities across the globe observing Lunar New Year will be ringing in the Year of the Wood Snake in celebration of a festive period that is meant to unite families in the spirit of hope and optimism for the months ahead.
The big picture: The holiday, which is celebrated over 15 days, marks the beginning of the new year that follows the lunisolar calendar.
State of play: The Chinese zodiac is a 12-year cycle that assigns an animal sign to each year. As the sixth animal in the zodiac, the snake represents the "midpoint, symbolizing balance — or the need for it — in one's life," according to Jonathan H.X. Lee, a professor of Asian and Asian American folklore, religions and culture at San Francisco State University.
- The snake can also represent the potential for self-cultivation and is often seen as mysterious and intelligent.
- This concept of self-improvement is deeply-rooted in the core values of Confuscianism, which is widely practiced in China.
- Wood in its natural state is life-generating, whether as part of trees in their natural cycles or as fire, Lee said.
Yes, but: While the snake does hold these positive attributes, it also belongs to the yin, "associated with darkness and dampness," according to Xiaohuan Zhao, a professor of sinology at the University of Sydney.
- Because wood is associated with both trees and fire, the wood snake specifically possesses qualities that represent both of those characteristics such as growth and tolerance but also passion and brightness, Zhao said.
Catch up quick: The snake in Chinese culture holds different meanings, stemming from various folk tales and mythologies.
- One notable story, where the snake is perceived as a symbol of love and transformation, comes from The Legend of the White Snake, where a white snake transforms into a beautiful woman and falls in love with a man.
The intrigue: To maintain good fortune, it's not advised to clean, cut hair, wash clothing or perform chores on New Year's Day since it can bring bad luck.
The bottom line: Transformation and love — or transforming through love — are the foundations of The Year of the Wood Snake, according to Lee.
- This symbol of love for Lunar New Year marks a hopeful time where "new understanding can emerge, fostering mutual love and, by extension, peace and prosperity," he added.