As you may know, the Lunar New Year is just about here! New Year’s “Eve” is January 31. It is the Year of the Tiger and as usual, the festivities last 15 days.
New Year’s Eve is traditionally spent with family and friends eating “lucky” foods such as:
- Dumplings - that are associated with wealth
- Spring Rolls - carriers of prosperity
- Nian gao - glutinous rice cakes for general improvement in life
- Sweet Rice Balls - symbolic of reunion and being together
- Noodles - longevity noodles that are longer than normal noodles ( the longer the better ) - symbolic of long life
New Year's Eve is also a time to distribute "Angpao", red envelopes with money to the younger family members.
In addition to foods, there are “lucky” colors that are also associated with the year of the Tiger; Cerulean Blue, Fiery Red, Mint Green, and Yellow.
Celebrations abound throughout New York's " Chinatowns." They include Flushing and Elmhurst in Queens, Sunset Park, Bath Beach, and Bensonhurst in Brooklyn as well as lower Manhattan.
One of the largest enclaves of Chinese people in the western hemisphere is right here in New York City’s Chinatown between the Lower East Side and Little Italy. The borders are considered to be Broome Street to the north, amalgamating with Little Italy, Chambers Street to the south, East Broadway to the east, and Broadway to the west (bordering TriBeCa).
As we immerse ourselves in Chinese culture a great place to start is the Museum of the Chinese in America(MOCA). The museum is a must-see for anyone interested in Chinese culture in NYC. Right now the museum is offering virtual programming for the Lunar New Year. A highlight within the Museum is “The Lee Family of New York”. The exhibit takes place within a recreated general store, fashioned to represent an old New York storefront with tin ceilings, built-in wooden cabinets, and brick walls. The collection of artifacts, photographs, & old menus documents Chinese life in America through the Lee Family. Check out their website ???? www.mocanyc.com
Another must-see is the Mahayana Temple on Canal St, at the foot of the Manhattan bridge on the Bowery. A former “porn” theater, it is now the largest Buddhist Temple in Chinatown with 2 golden lion urns guarding the entrance. In the center of the sanctuary is a 16 ft golden statue of Buddha where religious services and prayers take place. Upon leaving don’t forget to give a donation and select a “fortune” from the bowl at the door which is guaranteed to come true!
The China Institute is another cultural center dedicated to Chinese culture through art, language, and other programming.
By now I’ll bet you are hungry and ready to find some authentic bites in Chinatown. Your first decision is what type of food you want from dim sum, Cantonese, Fukien, Szechuan - the list goes on.
The bargains are definitely found in small bites such as dumplings and you can get 17 for $5 at 106 Mosco St. Roast Pork buns are 2.30 at Fa Da Pastries at 83 Mott St. Check at the street carts and fruit stands- you will find authentic reasonably priced treats. Whether you are looking for a banquet check out some of these places :
- Nom Wah Tea Parlor: The first Dim Sum parlor in NYC, serving since 1920. Definitely get the egg roll and any other plates that tingle your senses
- Jing Fong: Another great Dim Sum place along Center Street
- Peking Duck House: Do you like duck? Then make this your first stop, there is no need to give 24 hour notice and it is delish
- Wo Hop: Try some old time “Cantonese” dishes
- Joe’s Shanghai: Try their “soup” dumplings - A Shanghai specialty that is delish and offers you a “spurt” of yummy soup with every bite
- Ten Ren: Check them out for fabulous exotic teas and you may even be able to participate in a traditional tea ceremony
- Wu’s Wonton King-great Cantonese dishes as well as roast duck, ribs and seafood
- Deluxe Food Market: If you’re in a hurry stop here for prepared foods to go such as noodles of all kinds, seafood, veggies and more.
Events for the Year of the Tiger
- January 31: The New Year Firecracker Ceremony at Sara Delano Roosevelt Park
- February 3-5: Brookfield Place- Ice Carving and Sculpture Display- Lantern making
- February 5: Chelsea Market- Outdoor meal and Lion Dancing
- February 5: Brooklyn Children’s Museum -Festival of Chinese Traditions
- February 5: Lion Dancing starting at Golden Diner 12- 1 PM- 123 Madison St-Chinatown
- February 8: Philharmonic Lunar Concert conducted by Earl Lee
- February 9-24: Annual Lunar New Year Parade and Festival- it starts at the corner of Mott and Canal at 1 PM
- February 11: Lion Dancing 6-7 PM - Jing Fong-202 Centre Street
- February 15: Lunar New Year Lantern Festival
- February 1-16: Flushing Town Hall- Lunar New Year Exhibition and Begin Anew and February 5
- February 5-6: Flushing Town Hall Lunar New Year Documentary Film Festival
- February 12: Staten Island Museum- ornament making/calligraphy/paper dragons
Let us know how's your Chinese New Year experience. Leave your comments below! ???? KUNG HEI FAT CHOI EVERYONE! ????
For inquiries and questions about tours ( In-person or Virtual ), you can send an email or call. Stay tuned for Susan's next new blog!
Christmas in NYC wouldn’t be the same without all of the amazing trees surrounding the city and becoming a backdrop for photos seen across the world. It started as a German tradition but has evolved NYC into a winter wonderland.
It might be late but still, Happy Holidays everyone! Join us in our Little Christmas Tree tour experience here in NYC! ????
To get started, let’s share a bit of the history of the trees in NY:
- Madison Square Park held the very first public tree lighting in 1912
- The New York Stock Exchange had their first tree on Broad Street in 1923
- In 1933 the construction workers building Rockefeller Center chipped in to buy a tree and celebrate as a thank you for having work during the Great Depression
Now let’s start a Christmas Tree tour around NYC! We will start the walk on Park Ave at 42 St. and end it at 5st St and 5th Ave.
Bryant Park Christmas Tree (Image by Shinya Suzuki Flickr.com)
Stand at the corner of 42nd St & Park Ave looking north. You will see the Park Avenue Trees which started as a tradition in 1945 when a small group of Park Ave families, led by Mrs. Stephen C. Clark, the wife of an heir to the Singer Sewing Machine fortune, lit trees to honor her son and all the men and women who died in WWII.
Enjoy the trees all the way from 42nd St to 96th St.
Walk along 42nd St to Bryant Park’s Winter Village, at 42nd between 5th and 6th Avenue, you will see a 55 foot Norway Spruce decorated with 30,000 red and white LED lights. Among the lights, you can see 3,500 star-bursts, balls, snowflakes, and icicle ornaments in wintry silver, pearly white, and iridescent red and blue. Check out the shops, put on your ice skates, and take a free twirl on the ice skating rink.
Walk up 5th Ave to see the Rockefeller Center Tree at 47th street. This year it hails from Elkton Maryland. It is a 79 foot Norway Spruce with 50,000 multi-colored dazzlings LED lights and a 900 pound Swarovski crystal star that tops the 12-ton tree.
From Rockefeller Center take the M5 or M7 bus from 6th Ave up to Lincoln Center. Once you get off at 63rd St and Broadway you can see the Lincoln Center Tree which is decorated with star-shaped ornaments designed by community members in partnership with a local pottery studio Color Me Mine.
Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree (Image by Susan Birnbaum)
Origami Christmas Tree (Image by AMNH)
Walk north on Broadway to 72nd St, turning right until you get to Central Park West, and walk north the rest of the way to the Museum of Natural History at 81st St and Central Park West to see the 50-year tradition of decorating the tree with origami. This year 1000 ornaments reflect models from the new Allison and Roberto Mignone Halls of gems and Minerals as well as the iconic blue whale, Titansaurus Rex. In addition, there are pieces related to the exhibit Sharks.
Back to 5th Ave and 82 St. and The Metropolitan Museum of Art at 82 St., This tree has a long-standing tradition with its 18th Century Neapolitan Nativity Scene. The scene is embellished with a profuse array of diminutive, lifelike attendant figures that reflect the multicultural population of the Mediterranean town. Silk-robed angels hover above the 20-foot candle-lit blue spruce. Recorded music adds to the enjoyment of this holiday display.
Walk down to the Plaza Hotel at 59th St and 5th Ave to see the 6-foot tree take center stage in the foyer featuring a fabulous collection of beautiful snowflakes curated by Saks 5th Ave.
Saks 5th Avenue Christmas Tree (Image by Fine Art America)
UNICEF Snowflake (Image by Ralph Daily Flickr.com)
As you end your walk going south on 5th Ave, I want to mention another of NYC’s iconic Christmas decorations although it is not a tree. In the heart of the city at 57th st and 5th ave is the UNICEF Snowflake, which is a special symbol for the world’s most vulnerable children. The snowflake contains 16,000 crystal prisms, is 23 feet wide, over 28 feet tall, and weighs more than 3,300 pounds. It hangs each year as a reminder of UNICEF’s commitment to reach a day when zero children die from preventable causes.
Stay tuned to see what happens next week as we explore the history of the New Year’s Eve Ball Drop. COVID, COVID, COVID has certainly turned many traditions upside down. Join us in our Virtual and In-Person Tour!
Enjoy the holiday stroll and let me know which ones you like the most! Leave your comments below ????
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