Every year between Jan. 21 and Feb. 20 China celebrates the Lunar New Year with a 15-day festival. The changing date occurs from the new year being based on the first new moon of the year. Each year is represented by one of the 12 Chinese zodiac animals, with this year being the year of the snake.
This has been celebrated for thousands of years, and the exact origins are shrouded in mystery and legend. One story is of a monster named Nian who would attack and eat villagers at the start of each year, and in order to scare Nian away, the villagers would chase the monster with loud noises and bright lights.
During the festival, people will clean their houses out to get rid of bad luck going into the new year, and a dragon dance is performed as a symbol of good fortune.
