The festive mood in the air in cities and towns of China and China Towns in the world was insatiable as they had raucous celebrations going on through out Sunday as they warmly welcomed their New Year, the Year of Snake. Starting on Saturday night, the new year celebrations extended all through the next day as the official hours of the new year begun on Sunday.

The sky was lit with vibrant fireworks all over the cities despite the officials requesting people to reduce the number of firecrackers being used  The belief is that the firecrackers scare away the demonic and evil spirits while welcoming prosperity into the lives of the people.

The residents of China were not daunted by the freezing temperatures as they celebrated the day with fireworks and folk dances.  Streets and malls were decorated in red with lanterns and wrappers adding to the rich festival mood.

Enjoy a few more pictures from the celebrations.

There is an Indian equivalent of the same, Losar. This is essentially Tibetan but the refugees in India near Dharmasala, Mc Leod Ganj and other places in India celebrate this festival with pomp and gaiety. The dances held during the new year are the highlight of Losar.

(AW- Anil)