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Photos: Celebrations commence the Year of the Snake
Beijing, China: Dragon dancers perform at a park on the first day of the Lunar New Year of Snake on Jan. 29.
All across the world, people are starting the Lunar New Year off by bidding the Dragon adieu and welcoming in the Year of the Snake.
It's an all-encompassing celebration that spans across countries, and nearly 2 billion participants, who will dance, eat, and gather to uphold traditions that focus on welcoming a new year with their best foot forward.
As NPR readers shared, there are plenty of rituals that families carry on year after year to guarantee good luck, good fortune, and prosperity like cleaning their homes, cutting their hair, and, of course, eating plenty of good food.
For many, it's a time to reflect on people they have lost, but it is also a time to set intentions and welcome the new energy of the future.
So, how are the festivities kicking off globally? Check out some glimpses of dragons, fire breathers, and snakes, oh my!
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NurPhoto via Getty Images
Bangkok, Thailand: Lion Dance performances worship Chinese deities during the Chinese Lunar New Year celebration at a shopping mall in Bangkok, on Jan. 29.
Ezra Acayan / Getty Images
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Getty Images
Manila, Philippines: A performer breathes fire during Lunar New Year celebrations at Binondo district, considered the world's oldest Chinatown, on Jan. 29.
I-Hwa Cheng / AFP via Getty Images
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AFP via Getty Images
Keelung, Taiwan: People light candles on the first day of the Lunar New Year of the Snake at a temple in Keelung on Jan. 29.
Devi Rahman / AFP via Getty Images
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AFP via Getty Images
Magelang, Central Java, Indonesia: Performers entertain tourists on the first day of the Lunar New Year of the Snake at Borobudur Temple, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the largest Buddhist temple in Indonesia, on Jan. 29.
I-Hwa Cheng / AFP via Getty Images
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AFP via Getty Images
Keelung, Taiwan: People offer prayers on the first day of the Lunar New Year of the Snake at a temple in Keelung on Jan. 29.
Takashi Aoyama / Getty Images
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Getty Images
Yokohama, Japan: A lion dance is performed in front of a restaurant in Yokohama China Town on Jan. 29.
Lauren DeCicca / Getty Images
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Getty Images
Bangkok, Thailand: A snake plushie hangs from a hook at a street stall on Lunar New Years Eve on Jan. 28.
Debarchan Chatterjee / NurPhoto via Getty Images
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NurPhoto via Getty Images
Kolkata, India: The Chinese community performs a Dragon dance as part of the celebration of the Chinese Lunar Year on Jan. 29.
Manuela López Restrepo is a producer and writer at All Things Considered. She's been at NPR since graduating from The University of Maryland, and has worked at shows like Morning Edition and It's Been A Minute. She lives in Brooklyn with her cat Martin.
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