Last Updated on March 9, 2025 by Erin Donahue
New York City, one of the most diverse cities in the world, celebrates Chinese New Year, which many inclusively call Lunar New Year. Billions of people worldwide observe this annual celebration, which follows the lunisolar Chinese calendar, marks the first new moon of the year, and lasts 15 days. The lunisolar calendar combines solar, lunar, and other cycles for various social and religious purposes and differs from the Lunar calendar. The arrival of the full moon is traditionally marked with a Lantern Festival at the end.
In the Chinese Zodiac, 2025 is the Year of the Snake. More specifically, the Wood Snake. It symbolizes wisdom, knowledge, intelligence, intuition, and creativity. During the two weeks, places like Chinatown and Flushing burst with life, as people showcase the rich traditions of this holiday. Despite past challenges like the pandemic and anti-Asian sentiments, the spirit of Lunar New Year in NYC has returned in full force, making it a must-do experience!
Depending on who you ask, what to call it can be a controversial topic. On one hand, the argument is that this holiday originated in China, hence why it’s called Chinese New Year, but since other Asian cultures adopted it to be more inclusive it’s named Lunar New Year in the West. That’s a bare-bones summary and there’s a ton more nuance to it because in reality, the Chinese translation calls this holiday “Spring Festival” (春节) while other Asian cultures have other names for it, like Vietnamese call it Tết. All this to say, I think this is a chronically online argument, quite frankly.
For me, as a half-Asian who participates in the holiday, I simply say Lunar New Year if I know my audience is wide and diverse, but if I know my audience is Chinese then I’ll say Chinese New Year. Either way, the ones that matter to me are people to whom I can say ‘Xīnnián kuàilè’ (新年快乐 ), otherwise, it’s not that deep, but I digress.
Throughout Lunar New Year in NYC, places like Hudson Yards, South Street Seaport, and Port Authority partner with organizations like the New York Chinese Cultural Center for ribbon and lion dance performances.
Lion dancing has long been a form of entertainment and is believed to bring luck and fortune for the upcoming year. The rhythmic beats of drums and the mesmerizing lion heads make their way through Chinatown and Flushing, where the streets are transformed into a spectacle of culture and tradition.
I’ve always stayed in Manhattan just because it’s easier for me to get around. For me, one of the highlights of the celebrations is ‘Super Saturday,’ where over 20 lion dance groups parade through Chinatown, offering blessings to stores and spectators.
Leading up to the holiday, families prepare by cleaning their homes, getting haircuts, and enjoying the New Year’s Eve reunion dinner, known as ‘Nian Ye Fan (年夜饭).’ Symbolic foods like full fish, beef, chicken, pork, bamboo shoots, and glutinous rice cake (‘Nian Gao’) are enjoyed during this time. A couple of years ago, I did a styled shoot with fellow AAPI creatives around the Eve’s reunion dinner since it’s often hard to find Asian representation online.
Another cherished tradition is the giving of red envelopes (‘hong bao, 红包’) containing money for good luck. This gesture of goodwill and prosperity is a hallmark of the holiday, symbolizing hope for a prosperous new year.
Here’s the ULTIMATE 2025 guide to find where to celebrate Lunar New Year in New York City! The dates of these events vary each year, but you can expect these institutions to host something. Wishing you a Happy New Year, 新年快乐 Xīnnián kuàilè!
January 18
January 25th
January 28
January 29th
February 1
February 2
February 8
February 11
February 12
February 16
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