Celebrate the Year of the Tiger With Welcome to Chinatown
The Lunar New Year can fall on different days in January or February on the Gregorian calendar because the lunar calendar follows an annual cycle based on the phases of the moon. In 2022, the Lunar New Year falls on February 1st, and it is going to be the Year of the Tiger!
Lunar New Year Chinatown Guide
This month, we created our Lunar New Year Chinatown Guide to help you find what you need — gifts, food and drink, beauty, and more — for your celebration with friends and family. View the guide on meetchinatown.com, or find a digital copy below.
How We Celebrate Chinese New Year
Every household celebrates Chinese New Year with their own unique elements depending on the region of China from which their family originated. These variations can be found in food, decor, or even how you greet one another, but one thing is universal: the joyous gathering of family and friends!
In the Home: It is important to clean your home thoroughly before the Lunar New Year, not just keep everything tidy, but as a ritual to sweep away the troubles of the past year, and to make room for new luck and prosperity in the next year. Offerings of food, including whole fish, whole chicken, fruits, and pastries are laid out for the gods and your ancestors. Joss incense is burned as a part of this ritual.
With Family & Friends: Perhaps the best part of Chinese New Year is the handing out and receiving (mostly receiving!) red envelopes stuffed with money called Hóngbāo (紅 包) or Lì shì (利是). Extended family and friends are invited over for meals. However, it might be safer to have smaller gatherings this year. Just make sure you call everyone you know, especially your elders, and wish them a happy new year! Xīn nián hǎo (新年好), xīn nián kuài lè (新年快乐), gōng xǐ fā cái (恭喜发财)!
Join Our Lion Dance Celebration in February!
Performances: One of the most iconic sights of Chinese New Year is the traditional Lion Dance that brings good fortune and wealth. This dazzling display of martial prowess and acrobatics is accompanied by rhythmic percussion of drums and symbols.
On Saturday, February 5, Welcome to Chinatown and New York Chinese Freemasons Athletic Club have partnered up to bring free lion dances to Manhattan Chinatown from noon to 1:30 pm starting at Dreamers Coffee House (54W Henry Street) and then following a route to Kopitiam (151 E Broadway) and Golden Diner (123 Madison Street).
On Friday, February 11, from 6 to 7:30pm, the lion dances will start at Jing Fong (202 Centre Street) and then move to Pasteur Grill & Noodles (85 Baxter Street) and Uncle Lou (73 Mulberry Street).
Firecrackers: Originally used to scare away evil spirits, firecracker, or bàozhú (爆竹) are a welcome sight and sound during Chinese New Year. Firecrackers are no longer legal in New York City, but residents will shoot gigantic confetti poppers instead. The scraps of red paper left behind are a symbol of good luck and fortune and are left for a whole day before they are swept away.
We wish you and your family a happy, healthy, and prosperous Lunar New Year.
