
Lunar New Year at NYPL
The New York Public Library celebrates Lunar New Year and welcomes the spring with recommended reading, online events and programs, and a wide range of resources.
Lunar New Year is celebrated according to lunar calendars in countries across East and Southeast Asia, with analogs in South Asia, the Middle East, and North America. With traditions dating back thousands of years and spanning across the globe, this shift into a new year holds significance for many and is often observed with family and loved ones. In 2025, Lunar New Year falls on Wednesday, January 29, with many celebrations concluding during the Lantern Festival on February 12.
Celebrate the Year of the Snake with our Lunar New Year events and programs.
Books for Celebrating the Year of the Snake
Celebrate Lunar New Year with a special reading list compiled by the AANHPI Culture Club, a group of NYPL staff, in collaboration with the Asian Pacific American Librarians Association and the Chinese American Librarians Association. This list features a diverse selection of books and resources for all ages that highlight AANHPI heritage. Plus, explore picture books just for kids!

Recommended Resources
Learn more about the communities that celebrate Lunar New Year and about its origins and traditions.

Free Events for All Ages
Join us for activities to welcome the Year of the Snake, including comics clubs, crafty afternoons, bilingual art workshops, and more.
More Recommended Reads for the Year of the Snake
Those born in a snake year are believed to embody calm, wisdom, charm, and creativity. As a nod to the Year of the Snake, we're highlighting writers born in snake years, and fiction where snakes play a pivotal role. From literary fiction to scifi, mystery, thriller, and more, coil up with one of these engrossing reads.

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