Dragonfly

Folk dancers perform a dragon dance before the Lunar New Year celebrations in 太仓 (Tàicāng), 江苏省 (Jiāngsū province), China. Photo: AFP/Getty Images.

Snakes in the Wood

It’s almost time to say goodbye to the Year of the Dragon (龙) and welcome the arrival of the Year of the Wood Snake (蛇) that will begin on Wednesday, January 29, 2025. If one believes in horoscopes, it is noteworthy that J. K. Rowling is a Wood Snake and that Voldemort’s most beloved companion, Nagini, was a woman turned into a snake due to a curse for twenty years.

Barbarella fends off killer snakes in a panel from Jean-Claude Forest’s original strip.

Cosmos and Metacosmos

2020 is the Year of the Metal Rat, beginning on January 25, 2020, and ending on February 11, 2021. The Rat is the first animal in the 12-year cycle of Chinese zodiac, and its Year symbolises a time of deep transformations, both on personal and professional fronts. Photo: Vladimir Astapkovich/Sputnik.

Pigs with Wings

A folk artist makes dough figurines of pigs holding couplets to greet the Year of the 豬 (Pig) in 临沂 (Línyí), 山东省 (Shāndōng province), China. Photo: VCG/Getty Images.