NewYorkCity
Events begin earlywith the famousflowermarket in
Columbus Park onMulberry Street, where hundreds
of flower vendors sell freshflowers for people toput
in their homes (a Chinese NewYear tradition). Stop
by restaurants such as the Golden Unicorn on East
Broadway andCatherineStreet for special menu of-
ferings.
Sydney, Australia
More than 600,000 people are expected to crowd
the streets of Sydney inhonor of theYear of theRat.
The citywide celebration includes 40-plus exhibi-
tions, shows, and festivities. Don’t miss the Dragon
Boat races inDarlingHarbour onFebruary16and17.
HongKong
The city explodes in a dazzling display of color and
freneticenergyallmonth long. Toast theholidaywith
aNine Dragon cocktail in the lobby of the InterCon-
tinental Hong Kong, and scream along with all the
other spectators as themulticolored dragon dances
by during the famous parade. Stay until the last day
to be wowed by a fireworks display.
hongkong.com
San Jose, California
Eat your way through the Chinese NewYear at Sino
Restaurant & Lounge, where chef Chris Yeo offers a
monthlongselectmenuwithacontemporary interpre-
tationof traditional dishes. Inpast years, guests have
gobbled up kabocha squash cappuccino and seared
scallopswith edamame and chile-cilantro vinaigrette,
amongother delights.
Honolulu
Kick off the new year with an open house at the
Chinese Chamber of Commerce. Food vendors offer
Chinese favorites including Jai (vegetarian monk’s
food), GinDoi (aChinesedoughnut), Gau (NewYear’s
pudding), andJook (rice soup). Ethnicdance troupes,
local musical groups, andmartial artists provide en-
tertainment.
SanFrancisco
Don’tmiss the annual Lunar NewYear parade (Feb-
ruary 23), where Miss Chinatown USA and her at-
tendants ride on elaborate floats amid costumed
characters and a 201-foot golden dragon. True
aficionadoswon’twant tomiss the pageant before-
hand, which features contestants from across the
UnitedStates.
What animal areyou?
It’s easy: Just find the year youwere born on the list below; the animal it corresponds to is your sign.
(All you boars, you’ll noticewe just finished up your year.)
Rat:
1900 1912 1924 1936 1948 1960 1972 1984 199620082020
Ox:
1901 1913 1925 1937 1949 1961
1973 1985 199720092021
Tiger:
1902 1914 1926 1938 1950 1962 1974 1986 199820102022
Rabbit:
1903 1915 1927 1939 1951 1963 1975 1987 19992011 2023
Dragon:
1904 1916
1928 1940 1952 1964 1976 1988200020122024
Snake:
1905 1917 1929 1941 1953 1965 1977 19892001 20132025
Horse:
1906 1918 1930 1942 1954 1966 1978 1990200220142026
Sheep:
1907 1919 1931 1943 1955 1967 1979 1991 200320152027
Monkey:
1908 1920 1932 1944 1956 1968 1980 1992200420162028
Rooster:
1909 1921 1933 1945 1957 1969 1981
1993200520172029
Dog:
1910 1922 1934 1946 1958 1970 1982 1994200620182030
Boar:
1911 1923 1935 1947 1959 1971 1983 1995200720192031
So,NewYear’sEveDidn’t
LiveUp toYourExpectations?
Then consider celebrating again.Only this timemake it lunar-style.OnFebruary 7, theChi-
neseNewYear begins, welcoming theYear of theRat. —B.H.
TheChineseNewYear,Explained
Whocelebrates?
This is themost important
holiday inChinaandamongpopulations of Chinese
people living elsewhere. Reunions are common, and
people take timeoff fromwork toprepare for the
festivities.
How longdoes theparty last?
Fifteendays
(though celebrations oftenbeginbefore the official
date), endingwitha lantern festivalwhen the
moon is brightest.
What towear?
Red. It symbolizes fire and is
said tohave thepower to expel bad luck. People
writepoems on redpaper andgive children “lucky
money” in red envelopes.
What toexpect from theYear of theRat?
This
is agood year to socialize and to entertain— the
rat loves apack. Peoplewhoarefirmabout their
goals andaspirations can expect a fortuitous year.
In spite of anunpredictable economic climate, the
Year of theRat is an excellent time to start abusi-
ness, to invest, or tobuyproperty.
What about peopleborn in theYear of the
Rat?
These lucky rodents are said tobe charming,
charismatic, andpractical. They tend tobe lead-
ers, conquerors, andpioneers. Famous ones: Hugh
Grant, SeanPenn, andGwynethPaltrow.
HongKongfireworks display
24 AMERICANWAY
JANUARY 1 2008
J O I N T H E P A R T Y
