Traditionally, the New Year has been the most celebrated and important festival on the Chinese calendar. The ancient Chinese calendar, which the Chinese New Year is based on, is a very intricate timepiece. It’s been created according to the lunar phases, solar solstices, equinoxes, yin and yang, the Chinese Zodiac, and, the structure hasn’t always been static. Depending on which emperor was in power during a specific time in China, the calendar could be reset by them and vary by region.
This highly anticipated holiday in Chinese culture celebrates and focuses on home and family. In preparation for the Chinese New Year the house would have to be cleaned, ritual sacrifices of food and other goods would we offered up to the gods, firecrackers would be sent up to ward off and scare evil spirits, and people would eat meals signifying various things. For example, in the first 5 days of the New Year many people ate long noodles to symbolize long life and on the last day of the New Year dumplings were consumed together to signify perfection and the family unit.
Nowadays many areas, other than China, also celebrate and recognize the Chinese New Year, like the famous Chinese New Year Parade in San Francisco which has been going on since the 1860s.
Celebrate the Chinese New Year, which begins on Thursday, February 19th, and learn something new about China and Chinese culture by attending one of these events on Long Island and nearby!
Chinese New Year Celebration at the Ward Melville Heritage Educational and Cultural Center
Stony Brook Village Center, Stony Brook, NY 11790
Sunday, February 8th from 1:30 PM – 3:30 PM
631-689-5888
$12 adults, $10 seniors and children under 12 years old
Celebrate the Year of the Sheep with drumming, dancers, and a nine-foot line at the Educational & Cultural Center!
Lunar New Year Parade in Queens
39-01 Main Street, Suite 511, Flushing, NY 11355
Saturday, February 21st at 11 AM
Free
Celebrate the Year of the Sheep at this festive parade taking place in the Bronx!
Lunar New Year Parade & Festival in NYC at Sara D. Roosevelt Park
East Houston Street to Canal Street (between Forsyth Street and Chrystie Street), Manhattan, NY 10002
Sunday, February 22nd at 1 PM
Free
Immerse yourself in Chinatown's annual Lunar New Year celebration featuring amazing performances, delicious cuisine and awe-inspiring spectacles.
China Then and Now at Nassau County Museum of Art
Every Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday through March 8th
One Museum Drive, Roslyn Harbor, NY 11576
515-484-9337
$10, $8 seniors, $4 students and children
Come out and view Chinese works of art from the classical, early modern and contemporary periods. Enjoy large-scale classical stone sculptures, blue-and-white porcelains and more!
Li Kang: Wielding the Knife at Art League of Long Island
February 9th through March 8th
107 East Deer Park Road, Dix Hills, NY 11746
631-462-5400
Free
Don't miss out on viewing these master large-scale Chinese woodcuts curated by Long Island printmaker Dan Welden.
[Source: History]