Source: Associated Press. Several Asian countries around the world are swathed in a sea of red as they celebrate the Lunar New Year. A man dressed in a costume greets tourists and shoppers at a crowded commercial area ahead of Chinese Lunar New Year in Beijing.
Because the lunar calendar is based on the cycles of the moon, the dates of the holiday vary slightly each year, falling between late January and mid-February. Each year honours an animal based on the Chinese zodiac. The circle of 12 animals β the rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, goat, monkey, rooster, dog and pig β measure the cycles of time.
Legend has it that a god beckoned all animals to bid him farewell before his departure from Earth and only 12 of them showed up. The Vietnamese zodiac is slightly different, honouring the cat instead of the rabbit and the buffalo instead of the ox.
Dancers perform as lions during the Chinese New Year celebrations, marking the year of the snake, in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Snakes are viewed with both fear and reverence in Chinese culture. On the one hand, venomous snakes are associated with darkness. But in Chinese mythology, snakes are also known as "little dragons", and the skin they shed is known as "the dragon's coat", symbolising good luck, rebirth and regeneration.
The snake also symbolises the pursuit of love and happiness. In Chinese culture, they are grouped with the turtle and crane as a symbol of longevity. A vendor displays candies shaped like animals, including a snake, as people flock to a tourist area ahead of Chinese Lunar New Year in Beijing. This year, merchants in China and elsewhere are producing lanterns, soft toys and other products where the snakes have googly eyes and goofy smiles so they appear cute and cuddly, and don't scare away young celebrants.
