Across the world, hundreds of millions of people are welcoming the Year of the Snake as they celebrate the Lunar New Year with fireworks, family time and festive dances.
In north and Southeast Asia, from China to Indonesia, people gathered in temples to light incense sticks, holding them above their heads to pray for good luck.
Celebrations from Bolivia to the Philippines included Chinese lion dancers as a way to bring good fortune and chase away evil spirits.
The 15-day celebration, which lasts from the first new moon until the next full moon, kicked off on Jan. 29 and celebrates the arrival of spring and the start of a new year based on the Chinese lunisolar calendar. It's considered the most important holiday in the Chinese zodiac calendar.
The calendar is represented by 12 animals, each with unique personality traits, in the following order: Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog and Pig.
The Chinese zodiac corresponds to various years people were born, and each animal is believed to influence the lives of people born in that year.
The Year of the Snake is seen as one of renewal and regeneration and aligns with people born in 1941, 1953, 1965, 1977, 1989, 2001, 2013 and 2025.
