There will be a summary at the bottom of the news post!
Welcome to the Lunar New Year of 2025, where we celebrate the year of the snake!
What does the snake symbolise?
Interestingly, the metaphors and meaning of the Snake in Chinese literature and mythology are polar opposites. On the one hand, the snake belongs to the yin, associated with darkness, dampness and femininity. Poisonous snakes are often associated with evil women who seduce men and suck their yang to nourish their yin.
However, snakes also have positive symbolism. For example, they are regarded as little dragons, and the skin snakes shed is referred to as the dragon’s coat, symbolising good luck, rebirth and regality. The snake also symbolises the pursuit of love and happiness, a theme beautifully illustrated in the traditional folk tale, ‘The Legend of the White Snake’. The snake can also represent wealth and wisdom, and in traditional Chinese culture, they are often grouped with the turtle and the crane as a symbol of longevity
The origin of the animals
The order of the years supposedly comes from a story about a race across a river which was set by the Jade Emperor.
The animals all wanted the year to be named after them so they competed to cross the river the fastest and, through cunning, the rat won.
Then the other animals got to be named after a year in the order they finished the race. There is a 12-year cycle of animal names.
The animal signs
As it's the year of the snake, you might wonder what other animals there are. The Chinese zodiac is a 12-year cycle that links each year to an animal sign. The Chinese calendar has the following animals:
• Rat
• Ox
• Tiger
• Rabbit
• Dragon
• Snake
• Horse
• Goat
• Monkey
• Rooster
• Dog
• Pig
Despite that, there are still multiple countries that made some adjustments to these 12 animals. For example, in Vietnam they have changed the rabbit to the cat and have changed the ox to the water buffalo. Whereas in Japan, they have changed the pig to the boar. These 12 zodiac signs in Chinese astrology each possess a unique set of qualities.
Elements
Each year, an animal is paired with one of the five elements: gold, wood, water, fire, and earth. These elements complement and conflict with each other, but it is this ongoing interaction that is believed to promote harmony, balance, and order in the natural world.
The unique qualities of a zodiac sign are often used to describe the personality traits of people born in that year.
This year we celebrate the Year of the Wood Snake. Since each elemental animal follows a 60-year cycle, the last Wood Snake year was 1965. In 2025, we welcome the Year of the Wood Snake once again. It is also known as the Year of the Green Snake because according to the Chinese Five Elements theory, wood is associated with green. The Wood Snake is a charming, intelligent and creative sign, but also secretive, cunning and sometimes ruthless.
Also forming the sexagenary cycle are the ten Heavenly Stems and twelve Earthly Branches, each possessing different attributes. In 2025, the Heavenly Stem is Yi, representing Wood, while the Earthly Branch is Si, representing Fire, thus establishing the year of Yisi. Therefore, individuals born in 2025 may be called ‘Wood Snake’ or ‘Fire Snake’ or ‘Wood Fire Snake’. The five elements interact with one another in a cyclical manner; as a result, Wood gives rise to Fire.
SUMMARY:
• This year we celebrate the Year of the Wood Snake.
• The Chinese calendar has 12 animals.
• The order of those animals come from a race across a river.
• Vietnam and Japan are some of the countries who might have swapped the animals from the Chinese calendar to something else.
• Every animal is paired with an element each year, which goes through a 60-year cycle.
If you would like to read the Inclusivity Group's news posts about Lunar New Year of last year, feel free to check it out HERE and HERE
P.S. Be prepared for the festivity on here! Look out for things such as a (hidden) goCode, a snake competition and even a shop drop! Tell us all about your favorite Lunar New Year traditions, and perhaps you will find some lucky red envelopes coming your way...
恭喜發財!/Gong xi fa cai! (May you be prosperous!)
From the Inclusivity Group
