Firecrackers popped, incense was offered at temples and dancers and drummers paraded Wednesday in Asia and farther afield as millions around the world celebrated the Lunar New Year.

Celebrated across Asia and beyond, it marks the start of a new year based on the cycles of the moon rather than the Gregorian calendar, when the majority of the United States and

Lunar New Year festivals and prayers are marking the start of the Year of the Snake around Asia and the world.

In honor of the Year of the Snake, let’s appreciate the strange anatomy and evolution of these slithery reptiles

The Lunar New Year, also known as the Chinese New Year or Spring Festival, is a traditional Asian celebration that has been observed in for thousands of years. Every winter, Asian communities around the world ring in the Lunar New Year with carnivals, food, family gatherings, parades and more.

Lunar New Year festivals and prayers are marking the start of the Year of the Snake around Asia and farther afield.

Lunar New Year is nearly here, with January 29 ushering in the Year of the Snake. Google is ready to celebrate with an appropriately snake-ified Doodle. In addition to the main Lunar New Year Doodle, Google’s also got a special edition for South Korea.

Asian American communities around the U.S. will ring in the Year of the Snake with community carnivals, family gatherings, parades, traditional food, fireworks and other festivities. In many Asian countries,

Quincy Asian Resources' free annual event at North Quincy High School on Jan. 29 will include cultural performances, Asian foods and more.

The Lunar New Year, an ancient tradition rooted in China that marks the first new moon of the year, is Wednesday. Celebrations of the Year of the Snake are set for Long Island and across the United States,