2025: The Year of the Snake 🐍✨ – A Special Year Ahead!
As we step into 2025, we welcome the Year of the Snake (蛇年, Shénián) in the Chinese zodiac! This year is extra special, filled with themes of wisdom, transformation, and hidden strength. And to celebrate, I’ve created a brand-new illustration series: ‘Saffy the Snake’—a collection of five adorable pastel snake drawings, each with its own lucky charm! 🧡
What Does the Year of the Snake Mean?
In Chinese astrology, the Snake is known for its intelligence, intuition, and elegance. People born in Snake years (like 2013, 2001, 1989, 1977) are often deep thinkers, strategic, and full of mystery.
Why Is 2025 a Special Year?
Beyond being a Snake year, 2025 is influenced by the element of Wood, making it a Wood Snake year (木蛇, Mù Shé). This combination brings:
🌿 Growth & Adaptability – Just like a tree growing towards the sun, the Wood Snake encourages patience, planning, and steady progress.
🐍 Deep Thinking & Creativity – A time to trust your instincts and let your imagination flow.
🍃 Balance & Transformation – Shedding old habits and embracing new beginnings.
If you’ve been looking for a fresh start, 2025 might be your year to shine!
Meet ‘Saffy the Snake’ – My New Art Collection! 🧡✨
To honor the Year of the Snake in my own way, I’ve illustrated Saffy the Snake—a cute and cozy pastel-colored snake with five lucky variations!
🐍🍏 Apple Saffy
Saffy the cute snake says hello and Happy Chinese New Year! On 29th January it's Chinese New Year🧧🎊🥳
In January, my goal was to try a new art style AND draw the cutest & cozy pastel snake to celebrate the YEAR OF THE SNAKE! 🐍
To be honest, I was not thrilled to draw snakes... I would rather draw cats and bears and bunnies, but I gave myself the challenge to draw the CUTEST snake ever! And Saffy was born ✨️
The saying Ping An Xi Le 平安喜乐 means Peace and Happiness, 'Ping' has the same sound as 'Ping' from Apple 苹果! You get it? 🤪😝
🐍🏮 Lantern Saffy
For this drawing, I wanted a lantern to accompany Saffy the pastel snake. Lanterns are widely used during Chinese New Year and Lunar New Year, and the pop of red gives a festive feeling 🎉
On the left side, I drew two mahjong blocks with the words Fa Cai 发财, which means 'hope you get rich' 🤪🥳
🐍🍊 Mandarin Saffy
Another fruit is joining Saffy the pastel snake! How do you like it? Mandarin is holding a Lucky Bag called Fu Dai 福袋 and is soooooo cute! 🥰
Why a mandarin? She Nian Da Ji 蛇年大吉, the 吉Ji has a similar sound to 桔 Ju in both Cantonese Chinese and Mandarin (the language, not fruit! No pun intended hihi) so I thought it would be cute for Saffy to have another fruit friend joining her.
When we visit friends and family during the period of Chinese New Year, we usually bring mandarins. To wish them good luck in the new year 🥰✨️🌸
Wishing you all good luck in the year of the snake! 🐍🍊✨️
🐍🧧 Hongbao Saffy
Saffy the pastel snake is together with Hongbao 红包 and Golden Nugget and a rainbow of raining coins!
What is Chinese New Year without the red envelopes to gift to and receive from relatives, family and friends? We say Gong Ci Fa Cai 恭喜发财 which practically means 'Please get rich this year (and don't forget to share with me)'! 🙈😝🤪
When I was a child, I always looked forward receiving red envelopes! 🤑🧧✨️
So Saffy wishes you a year full of Wealth and Prosperity!✨️
I personally will be aiming for a year of not perse to get rich, but to experience rich experiences by travel, food, friends and lilalicreates! Love the encouraging art community here, you always make my day ✨️💜✨️💜✨️
🐍🐱 Lucky Cat Saffy
Saffy the pastel snake thought it would be even cuter to form the shape of a heart and snuggle with Lucky Cat! 🥰
I wanted to tie the topic of love with luck and combine it with Saffy and tadaaaa, this drawing is the result! The golden coin is called a Koban in Japan and usually it has the kanji/characters of money, but I thought it would be cute to write Jia You 加油, which means (do your best/add oil). I truly wish for everyone that 心想事成 'May all your wishes come true' and hopefully this Lucky Cat Saffy made you smile!
The collection five drawings of Saffy the pastel snake is all out now! I am actually quite proud of myself! A new artstyle takes time to figure out stuff and I also like it a lot, will I keep this style? I am not sure! Because I would love to explore even more art style and make it my own, whoooohooooo 🥳✨️💖
This collection is all about celebrating the new year with cuteness, warmth, and positivity.
Wishing You a Lucky & Happy 2025!
Whether you were born in a Snake year or just love the mystical charm of this zodiac sign, 2025 is a great time to embrace wisdom, creativity, and new opportunities. And what better way to welcome it than with a little Saffy by your side? 🐍💛
What do you think about the Year of the Snake? Do you have any special traditions for Lunar New Year? Let me know in the comments! 😊✨