Lunar New Year, also known as “Chinese New Year,” comes roughly one month after the New Year signified by the Gregorian calendar, which is used in the United States. Lunar New Year is the New Year based on the Chinese calendar. While it is a widely celebrated Chinese event, several other countries use this calendar and celebrate the New Year at the beginning of its first month. In the West, celebration of this holiday can follow the typically Oriental themes or it can take the form of a more traditionally Western celebration. In Boston, celebrations come in both forms.

Chinatown Lion Dance Parade

Chinatown

Boston, MA 02111

www.facebook.com/BOSCMS

Date: Feb. 9, 2014 at 10 a.m. Editor’s Note: Corrected Date Provided By CCBA. Apologies for any confusion The Lion Dance Parade in Boston’s Chinatown is a traditional celebration featuring brightly colored Chinese costumes worn by lion dancers who are also martial artists. There is also traditional food and music. The ornate costumes and decorations make this a great way for anyone to spend the day. Visitors do not have to be Chinese to ring in the Lunar New Year with the people of Chinatown. Of course, the actual date of the New Year in 2014 is January 31, but the parade will be a bit later. This is the foremost celebration of the Lunar New Year in Boston. Related: A Guide To The Chinese New Year In Boston’s Chinatown

East Ocean City

27 Beach St.

Boston, MA 02111

(617) 542-2504

www.eastoceancity.com As any Chinese food lover knows, the American version of this traditional oriental fare is often far from the original. However, East Ocean City in Boston has a reputation for authenticity. Even still, this is not the biggest draw. Those who want to dine on the freshest Chinese seafood dishes in Boston this Chinese New Year can do so at East Ocean City. The seafood is so fresh that it is still alive when guests order it. Do not worry if there is a vegetarian or someone who does not like seafood in the mix; the chef at East Ocean City is more than prepared to make dishes without sea creatures.

Chinatown Market Tour

Boston Food Tours

(855) 249-1163

www.bostonfoodtours.com Anyone new to Lunar New Year celebrations or wanting to get deep into its traditions will benefit from Boston Food Tours’ Lunar New Year Chinatown Tour. Tour members get to taste some of the foods of the neighborhood, see how Chinatown celebrates the New Year and the Spring Festival and spend more than four hours doing it. This is a small walking tour, so it is intimate and more relaxing than larger walking tour groups in Boston.

Museum Of Fine Arts, Boston

465 Huntington Ave.

Boston, MA 02115

(617) 267-9300

www.mfa.org The Museum of Fine Arts in Boston has several Chinese collections that make for a perfect way to spend the Chinese New Year. These collections include Chinese Religious Arts, Chinese Funerary Arts, Chinese Master Painting and Chinese Painting and Calligraphy. Visitors can learn more about Chinese history, culture and especially art by strolling through these exhibits. The MFA is one of the largest museums in the country, so it is easy to spend the entire Lunar New Year there. Related: Boston’s Best Choirs



Shelly Barclay is a professional freelance writer and amateur author. She writes on a variety of topics from food to mysteries. She loves to share the culture and rich history of her birthplace and home, Boston, with the rest of the world. Her work can be found at Examiner.com.