Chinese New Year, known in modern Chinese as the "Spring Festival" is an important Chinese festival celebrated at the turn of the traditional lunisolar Chinese calendar. Celebrations traditionally run from the evening preceding the first day, to the Lantern Festival on the 15th day of the first calendar month. The first day of the New Year falls on the new moon between 21 January and 20 February. In 2017, the first day of the Chinese New Year is on Saturday, 28 January.
According to CNN, the festival is centuries old and gains significance for the myths and traditions it holds. Traditionally, the festival was a time to honor deities as well as ancestors. The Chinese calendar attaches different animals from the zodiac to each lunar year in a cycle of 12 years. This year is the Year of the Rooster the tenth sign in the zodiac signifying confidence, honesty, and hard working. With the festival being around the corner, the following are some of the best places to celebrate the Chinese New Year are actually located outside China.
In Sydney, Australia, the celebrations primarily happen in Chinatown where performers, markets, and street stalls all set up. The dragon boat races are a huge part of this city's celebrations. They happen on Cockle Bay and visitors are invited to get up close and personal with these intricately carved boats that are an important part of the Chinese history.
As reported by Foxnews, for those wanting big flashy parades, extreme entertainment, and great food New York is the place to be. For the more traditional approach, the Museum of Chinese in America offers many events including walking tours of Chinatown and a family festival. Other events include the popular Chinese New Year Concert put on by the New York Philharmonic featuring amazing composers and musicians.
In San Francisco, California, Gorgeous floats, elaborate designs, specialty costumes, stilt walkers, exploding firecrackers, marching drumming bands, and acrobats will all move their way down the streets of the city. The illuminated night parade remains one of the few nighttime parades in the United States and has been named one of the world's top ten parades.
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