Chinese New Year 4708 - Year of the Tiger

If you've never been in Chinatown (Manhattan, Flushing, Sunset Park) for Lunar New Year, you're missing out. Yes it's crowded but it's exciting and fun and loud (firecrackers and bang-snaps scare away evil spirits). Every restaurant and store gets a visit from the dragon and the entire neighborhood is dressed in red (and firecracker remnants). We highly recommend getting dim sum or dinner during the next week of festivities. Tomorrow is the first day of 4708.

Manhattan Chinatown Chinese New Year Cracker Show:
Sunday 2/14/2010, 11:30am - 3:30pm
Roosevelt Park

Manhattan Chinatown Chinese New Year Parade, Lion and Dragon Performance:
Sunday 2/21/2010, 1pm - 2:30pm
Mott Street and Hester Street, and really everywhere

Edible Symbols For The New Year from The SF Chronicle:
- Carrots: Cut crosswise and candied to resemble coins, they represent hopes for wealth and good fortune
- Lotus root seeds: Candied light yellow seeds symbolize fertility and portend hopes for sons
- Red melon seeds: Red is the color of luck, and the seeds symbolize money and fertility
- Peanuts: Peanut-studded candy and cookies represent longevity
- Wintermelon: These candied batons of greenish white melon resemble silver ingots and represent hopes for wealth