The Lunar New Year is the most important holiday in China and many other Asian countries. Celebrations will last until mid-February.

Asian American communities around the U.S. and around the world are ringing in the Year of the Snake Wednesday, including in New York City. The Lunar New Year, also known as the Chinese New Year or Spring Festival,

How long are Lunar New Year festivities? What is the Chinese Zodiac? Here's what to know as the Year of the Snake celebrations begin in Stockton.

This year, Lunar New Year begins today, Wednesday, Jan. 29, and ends Feb. 12. Lunar New Year, also widely regarded as Chinese New Year since the late 19th century when it gained global recognition through Chinese immigrant communities, is a centuries-old tradition rooted in the lunar calendar.