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Lunar New Year festivals and prayers marked the start of the Year of the Snake around Asia and farther afield on Wednesday.

As several Asian nations gear up to celebrate the lunar new year, families are preparing to partake in the unique traditions associated with the festival and welcome the year of the snake.

From Beijing to Hanoi and Moscow, the holiday — known as the Spring Festival in China, Tet in Vietnam and Seollal in Korea — is a major festival celebrated by diaspora communities around the world.