Happy Chinese New Year: Year of the Wood Snake 2025 – How to Celebrate and Prepare: Purify, Clean and Sweep in Prosperity
Chinese New Year and Tibetan Losar are often on different dates — based on two different lunar calendars. The Lunisolar Chinese Lunar calendar starts the new year in 2025 on January 29. (Losar — see the separate event — is almost one month later due to the strict lunar nature of the Tibetan calendar — this year on February 28, 2025)
It represents new beginnings, fresh start, and an opportunity to bring in auspiciousness for the new year. For this reason, purification practices are recommended prior to the New Year!
Chinese New Year 2025 is a Year of the Wood Snake, elementally it’s the Wood Snake, which begins from January 29th, 2025, and lasting until February 16th, 2026. The celebrations for New Year last up to 15 days.
Preparing for New Year
Chanting at least 108 (minimum) Vajrasattva mantras prior to the New Year is often recommended, or ideally 108 every day for 10 days prior, or as many as you are able. An easy way to accomplish this is to chant along with Hrishikesh Sonar’s beautiful Sanskrit mantra (includes visualizations):
Other strong purification practices are Maha Vairochana’s Mantra of Light and Vajrapani’s powerful clearing obstacles mantras.
Mantra of Light for Purification:
In both traditions, it is important to make offerings to the Buddha, Bodhisattvas, Dharma and Sangha on New Years. This is why temple visits and “generosity” to the Sangha — especially monks, nuns, rinpoches, teachers, and temples or gompas. The purification (such as Vajrasatttva practices) removes negative karmas, while the offerings ensure auspicious merit in the new year.
Jewel Practice to Bring in Prosperity for 2025
After purifying with Vajrasattva, traditionally we focus on helping create the conditions for auspiciousness, and propserity in the New Year. This is the traditional domain of Ratnasambhava and the Jewel Family, including Vasudhara (Yellow Tara), the Jambhala (Dzambhala) and Vaisravana Heavening King Practices.
Ratnasambhava 9-minute Practice Video Chant-along for Prosperity:
Lucky Activities for first 15 Days
From China Highlights:
“Chinese people believe that what you do at the beginning of a new year will affect your luck in the coming year. Staying up on Chinese New Year’s eve (January 28th, 2025) and saying good words to your family/friends like Happy New Year after the clock strikes 12 will certainly bring good luck.
Giving out red packets to kids and elders will help cast away the bad luck (demon Nian) and bring good luck in.
Besides, decorating your house with kumquat trees (symbolizing wealth & good luck), wearing your lucky color (yellow, red), and eating lucky food like rice dumplings (family togetherness), fried flour-coated peanuts (vitality), walnut cookies (happiness), etc. are popular ways to get lucky.”
Activities on New Years
For the first 15 days of lunar New Year, bring in auspiciousness with lucky activities (see the section below!).
Aside from the astounding mix of wondrous activities scheduled around the world for Chinese New Year, the lunar first month of 2022 will be a busy one for Dharma activities.
Celebrate the New Year and every Dharma activity in the first month to ensure an auspicious, happy year! Some of the Dharma Dates are highlighted below.
February Dharma Celebrations
You’ll find the monthly Dharma Calendar Highlights on the home page of Buddha Weekly and on our dedicated “Dharma Dates” page which has Dharma Dates from now to the end of 2027.
Buddhist Prosperity Practices for New Year
About the Jewel Buddha Ratnasambhava
Enriching Yellow Tara Mantras
Green Tara: Bring Sacred Enlightened Activities into 2025 — Activity of all the Buddhas
21 Tara Mantras three Times Each: Bring Auspiciousness and Merit, Enriching, Pacifying and Subjugating of Obstacles
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Lee Kane
Author | Buddha Weekly
Lee Kane is the editor of Buddha Weekly, since 2007. His main focuses as a writer are mindfulness techniques, meditation, Dharma and Sutra commentaries, Buddhist practices, international perspectives and traditions, Vajrayana, Mahayana, Zen. He also covers various events.
Lee also contributes as a writer to various other online magazines and blogs.
