When is Lunar New Year and how can you ring in the Year of the Dragon in NJ?
The Lunar New Year, also known as the Spring Festival or Chinese New Year, starts this Saturday, ushering in the most important holiday of the year for many Asian Americans in North Jersey. Communities around the region will celebrate with feasts, festivals, musical performances, lion dances and fireworks.
Here's a primer on the holiday and where you can join the celebration of the Year of the Dragon.
When is Lunar New Year 2024?
The annual 15-day festival begins with the new moon that falls between Jan. 21 and Feb. 20 in Western calendars and lasts until the following full moon, when it traditionally ends with a Lantern Festival. This year, that period starts on Saturday, Feb. 10, and runs through Feb. 24. Its start and end change every year since they're determined by a lunar calendar based on the moon's 12 phases.
It's the Year of the Dragon
The Chinese zodiac, or Sheng Xiao (生肖), is a repeating 12-year cycle of animal signs and their attributes, based on the lunar calendar. The Lunar New Year marks the transition from one animal to another. The Year of the Rabbit, which began Jan. 22, 2023, ends on Friday. Feb. 10 begins the Year of the Dragon, which last came in 2012.
Which countries celebrate Lunar New Year?
The holiday is usually marked by outdoor celebrations where participants partake of traditional foods and watch elaborate firecracker displays and traditional dance exhibitions. East Asian cultures such as the Chinese, Taiwanese, Koreans, Vietnamese, Thai, and Cambodians celebrate the festival.
Lunar New Year is officially acknowledged in New Jersey this year after Gov. Phil Murphy signed a joint resolution in January sponsored by several state legislators, including its primary sponsor, State Assemblywoman Ellen Park of Englewood Cliffs.
Throughout North Jersey, there will be various events to celebrate. The following are free unless noted otherwise.
Bergen County
The American Dream Mall in East Rutherford is the site of several Lunar New Year events: A Lunar New Year Gala and Opera Night on Saturday from 2 to 5 p.m., the Bravura Youth Orchestra New Year Concert on Sunday from 2 to 4 p.m., a Lunar New Year Spectacular on Feb. 24 from 11 to 5 p.m. and Lantern Festival Gala on the Feb. 25 from 12 to 4 p.m.
The Tenafly Korean Parent Association will present the 2024 Lunar New Year Korean Culture Festival on Saturday from 1 to 4 p.m. at the Skillman Elementary School at 75 Tenafly Road in Tenafly. The festival will include offerings of Korean food and snacks, a K-Pop dance performance, and the chance to win a roundtrip ticket to South Korea.
The Chinese New Year Culture Fair will be held on Sunday from 1 to 5 p.m. at the Fort Lee Recreation Center at 500 Stillwell Ave. in Fort Lee. The event is organized by the Chinese-American Family Coalition). Reserve a spot at Eventbrite.
The Englewood Public Library will present Feng Shui for the Lunar New Year: Year of the Dragon on Monday at 7 p.m. at the library at 31 Engle St. in Englewood. Visitors can "learn what feng shui remedies may enhance your life during the Year of the Dragon," the library says, and "learn a traditional feng shui blessing to welcome the chi of the new year and dispel the chi of the old." Registration is required at the library's website.
The Ramsey Free Public Library will host a Lunar New Year Celebration on Saturday, Feb. 17, at the Ramsey Community Center at 75 E. Oak St. in Ramsey. The event will feature cultural performances from 1 to 2 p.m. and activities including arts and crafts, riddles and games from 2 to 4 p.m. Limited seating for the performances. Attendees are welcome to drop in or get a ticket at Eventbrite.
More: Celebrate Lunar New Year at these five North Jersey restaurants
Passaic County
The Clifton Public Library's Allwood Branch will host Lunar New Year Craft on Saturday at 2:30 p.m. There will be a story and a fun craft activity. It is for kids ages 6 and up. The library is at 44 Lyall Road in Clifton. Registration is at the library website.
Essex County
The Newark Museum of Art will host Community Day: Lunar New Year on Saturday at the museum at 49 Washington St. in Newark. Tickets are available at Eventbrite. The event will feature artmaking and the following performances:
11:30 a.m. - Dragon Parade led by the Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company
Noon - DJ Phillip Lee kicks off the party
1 p.m. - Lion Dance by the New York Chinese Cultural Center
1:40 p.m. - Fan Dance and Drum Performance by Korean School of Southern New Jersey
3 p.m. - Performance by G-Hwaja
Also in Newark, the Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company will perform "Year of the Green Wood Dragon" at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center, 1 Center St., on Saturday and Sunday at 2 p.m. The performance will include Chinese dance, acrobatics, and live music. At 11 a.m., the dance company will lead a parade from NJPAC to the Newark Museum of Art and back to arts center for the 2 p.m. show. Tickets are for purchase for $30 at the Ticketmaster website.
The Millburn Institute of Talent and the Milburn Short Hills Chinese Association will host the 2024 Lunar New Year festival on Sunday from 12 to 6 p.m. at Millburn High School, at 462 Millburn Ave.
From 12 to 3 p.m., there will be various dance performances and games. Then, from 3 to 5:30 p.m., the Spring Festival Gala will feature instrumental, vocal, and dance performances by professional folk music performers, ballet dancers, and opera tenors, followed by a fireworks show at the end of the festival. Tickets for the gala are available for $20 for adults and $15 for children, seniors and performers at the festival website.
Graphics: It's the Year of the Dragon. Here's your guide to the Lunar New Year
Morris County
Parsippany-area libraries will hold events on Saturday to mark the holiday. From 10 to 10:45 a.m., the Parsippany Public Library main branch at 449 Halsey Road will host a KIDS Chinese New Year Drop-in Craft event for all ages. From 11 a.m. to noon, the Lake Hiawatha Branch Library at 68 Nokomis Ave. will host the Year of the Dragon Party for ages and 2 and up with stories, music, treats and crafts.
Celebrate Lunar New Year at Rockaway Townsquare on Saturday from 3 to 5 p.m. near the P.F. Chang restaurant. There will be music, entertainment and giveaways. The mall is located at 301 Mt. Hope Ave. in Rockaway.
Lunar New Year Celebration 2024 will be held at the Hanover Township Community Center, 15 North Jefferson Road in Whippany on Sunday, Feb. 18 at 1:30 p.m. The event will feature Chinese food, a martial arts demonstration, a lion dance and a performance by the Hanover Chinese American Community dance group.
This article includes reporting from USA TODAY.
Ricardo Kaulessar covers race, immigration, and culture for NorthJersey.com. For unlimited access to the most important news from your local community, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.t
Email: kaulessar@northjersey.com
Twitter: @ricardokaul
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Lunar New Year 2024 events in North Jersey for Year of the Dragon
