AURORA | Even before Jan. 29, Lunar New Year’s Day, Asian American communities around the U.S. will be ringing in the Year of the Snake with community carnivals, family gatherings, parades, traditional food, fireworks and other festivities.
In many Asian countries, and in Aurora,it is a festival that is celebrated for several days.
In diaspora communities, particularly in cultural enclaves, Lunar New Year is visibly and joyfully celebrated.
In the Chinese zodiac, 2025 is the Year of the Snake. Different countries across Asia celebrate the new year in many ways and may follow a different zodiac.
What is the Lunar New Year?
The Lunar New Year — known as the Spring Festival in China, Tet in Vietnam and Seollal in Korea — is a major festival celebrated in several Asian countries. It is also widely celebrated by diaspora communities around the world.
It begins with the first new moon of the lunar calendar and ends 15 days later on the first full moon. 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.
What are the animals of the zodiac?
Each year honors an animal based on the Chinese zodiac. The circle of 12 animals — the rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, goat, monkey, rooster, dog and pig — 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, honoring the cat instead of the rabbit and the buffalo instead of the ox.
2025 is the Year of the Snake
It’s the year of the snake in the Chinese zodiac, and in an era when cuteness reigns supreme, a workshop in eastern China is churning out hundreds of snake lanterns with cartoony big eyes — and smiles instead of flickering tongues — for Lunar New Year displays at parks, tourist sites and shopping malls.
“When you come close, you can see they look like snakes, but with a cute feeling,” said Wang Yongxun, the owner of the workshop in Weifang city in Shandong province.
The colorful lanterns stand taller than the average person and are built on wiry metal frames. They incorporate dragon elements, Wang said, as the snake is known as the “little dragon” in Chinese culture.
The Chinese zodiac is a 12-year cycle with a different animal for each year, and the year of the snake, which begins Jan. 29, follows the year of the dragon.
The snake is a symbol of spirituality, reproduction and longevity in China but may also represent evil and danger.
While they can give people a feeling of terror, snakes were considered a guardian of the home in ancient Chinese culture and harming them would bring bad luck, said Wang Juan, a folklore expert at Peking University.
“We have played down the aggressiveness of the snake, so it is culturalized,” she said. “This is what we call the incorporation of nature into the sequences of human beings and a manifestation of mutual care between humans and nature.”
What are some beliefs and traditions around the Lunar New Year?
One well-known ancient legend speaks of Nian, a hideous monster that feasted on human flesh on New Year’s Day. Because the beast feared the color red, loud noises and fire, people put up red paper dragons on their doors, burned red lanterns all night and set off firecrackers to frighten and chase away the monster.
To this day, the Lunar New Year celebration is centered around removing bad luck and welcoming all that is good and prosperous. Red is considered an auspicious color to ring in the new year. In many Asian cultures, the color symbolizes good fortune and joy. People dress up in red attire, decorate their homes with red paper lanterns and use red envelopes to give loved ones and friends money for the new year, symbolizing good wishes for the year ahead. Gambling and playing traditional games is common during this time across cultures.
Ancestor worship is also common during this time. Many Korean families participate in a ritual called “charye,” where female family members prepare food and male members serve it to ancestors. The final step of the ceremony, called “eumbok,” involves the entire family partaking the food and seeking blessings from their ancestors for the coming year.
Vietnamese people cook traditional dishes and place them on a home altar as a mark of respect to their ancestors.
Some Indigenous people also celebrate Lunar New Year this time of year, including members of Mexico’s Purepecha Indigenous group.
How do diaspora communities celebrate?
Members of Asian American communities around the U.S., including Aurora, also organize parades, carnivals and festivities around the Lunar New Year featuring lion and dragon dances, fireworks, traditional food and cultural performances. In addition to cleaning their homes, many buy new things for their home such as furniture and decorate using orchids and other brightly colored flowers.
Lunar New Year is also celebrated as a cultural event by some Asian American Christians and is observed by several Catholic dioceses across the U.S. as well as other churches.
What are some special foods for the new year?
Each culture has its own list of special foods during the new year, including dumplings, rice cakes, spring rolls, tangerines, fish and meats. In the Chinese culture, for example, “changshou mian” or “long-life noodles” are consumed with a wish for a long, healthy and happy life. In Vietnamese culture, banh chung and banh tet — traditional dishes made from glutinous rice — are a must for the celebrations. To make a banh tet, banana leaves are lined with rice, soft mung beans and pork belly and rolled into a tight log, which is then wrapped in the leaves and tied up with strings. Koreans celebrate with tteokguk, a brothy soup that contains thinly sliced rice cakes.
Lunar New Year close to home, in Aurora
The biggest planned Asian New Year celebration this year is Aurora’s iconic country western bar, the Stampede.
Created by Havana area business association, On Havana, the celebration this year is set for Sunday an. 26 and offers a full menu of traditional and localized events.
“Get ready to savor bites and drinks from some of the top local spots and pop-up food vendors in town. Stick around to vibe with our full schedule of music, performances, and weekend-long entertainment,” On Havana organizers said in a statement. “Picture lion dancers, modern K-Pop and traditional music performances, martial arts demos, craft activities, and more.”
This is Aurora, so as a nod to the rich diversity defining the city, Lunar New Year festivities offer a reflection of the city’s global marketplace. The event showcases businesses and vendors from around the world.
Here’s the lineup for 2025
What: Lunar New Year Celebration at the Stampede
Where: Stampede, 2430 S. Havana St.
When: 9 a.m. – 7 p.m. Jan. 26
Main Stage Schedule
All Day: MC – Sean Choi – 3456 Tea Owner
12:30 PM – Miki Saito: Japanese Flutist
1 PM – Denver Taiko: Japanese Taiko Drumming
2:15 PM – Meta Sarmiento: Filipino Hip Hop Artist
3 PM – Guiding Mountain: Dragon & Lion Dance Performers
4 PM – KPop Rockstar: Sean Choi coordinating performances from winners of his competition
5 PM – KonnectPop: Kpop Dance Showcase and also live performances from David Park & Jay.
Outside in Parking Lot of Stampede
1:45 PM – Denver Taiko: Japanese Taiko Drumming
2 PM – Firecrackers Celebration
2:45 PM – Meta Sarmiento: Filipino Hip Hop Artist
3:20PM – Guiding Mountain: Dragon & Lion Dance Perfomers
4 PM – Firecrackers Celebration
Inside and Outside
• DJ Sets throughout day by DJ Innaseoul and DJ Done
• A variety of performances and cultural entertainment
• All Day: Face Painting, Balloon Artist, Old Soul Henna, Bubble Machines, and Other Craft Activities
• Kid’s Corner – Arts & Crafts – Make and Take – 296 Paper Dragons (limited, while supplies last) + Color Station with Lunar New Year themed Coloring Pages
• Aurora Police Department Family Friendly Activities
• Korea Town Aurora hosting Cultural Attire Hanbok Try On with Photo Opportunity + Korean Calligraphy
Eat up
Festival organizers are offering a wide range of Asian and global food and drink choices.
Inside the event will include:
• Angry Chicken, Korean fried chicken
• Seoul Mandoo, Korean dumplings
• Seoul Koren BBQ, bibimbap
• Ten Seconds Denver, Hong Kong Street food
Drinks:
• Mexican Agua Frescas Antojito Sizamar
• Filipino-inspired specialty coffee from Coffee Sarap
• Boba drinks from Da Boba Denver
• Teas from Tea Hee Colorado
For the food truck lovers:
• Argentine empanadas from La Cocina de Luchodny
• Vietnamese Pho from Now Pho Denver
• Korean Corn Dog Mukja food truck
Sweets:
• Babka from Saras Genius
• Sprinkled brownies and cookies by
Confetti Confections Denver
• Choux Puffs from Sweet Rice Flour
• Japanese mochis by Taeko San Takeout
• Bonbon chocolate delights from
Colorado Cocoa Pod