Right now across the world, numerous cities are eagerly preparing for the glorious feasting, fun traditions, and amity that come with the Chinese New Year.  In the homeland, the Chinese would immediately greet you with a chorus of voices, wishing you “Kung Hei Fat Choi,” a prosperous New Year. An extravagant tradition lasting for fifteen days, the Chinese New Year is an occasion for honoring the gods as well as bringing family members, both alive and deceased, together.

On the eve of the Chinese New Year, or Spring Festival, the sky is covered with popping fireworks. On the 5th day, the Chinese believe that the gods of wealth and prosperity will come down from the heavens to bless the New Year. Besides the dancing dragon, the red envelope, which is filled with money and given to children or unmarried adults, is another recognized symbol for fortune.  The Festival of Lanterns marks the end of the festivities.  The streets are lit with all types of lanterns that symbolize the ox and popular Chinese fairytales.

Of course, food is one of the major highlights for gathering with friends and family. Whether in the homes of relatives or local restaurants, you can expect ducks, rice ball soup, Eight Treasures Rice, and other customary dishes.

Now, some of the largest Chinatowns across the globe are taking part in the traditions of the Chinese New Year. From New York to Singapore to London to Sydney, thousands are pulling out all of the stops to celebrate the upcoming Year of the Ox. In the U.S., Chinese New Year begins when the New Moon comes out. With such a large mix of Asian populations in our country, many metropolitan Chinatowns are adding a personal signature to the Chinese New Year tradition. Check out how a few American cities will be ringing in the Year of the Ox next week.

San Francisco

Their Chinatown is by far the largest community of its kind outside of Asia.  It should come as no surprise that the San Francisco Spring Festival is one of the most historic and elaborate. Their Chinese New Year Parade has been named one of the world’s top ten parades, and contains the most extraordinary floats, costumes, lion dancers, Chinese acrobatics, martial artists, and a 200-foot Golden Dragon. The celebration also includes two major fairs, the Flower Fair and Chinatown Community Street Fair.

Los Angeles

Add celebrities like Bruce Lee, David Carradine, and Hugh Hefner to the fun of New Year, and you’ve got one of the most spectacular celebrations in the country. For more than 100 years, Los Angeles has never missed the mark is providing the premiere cultural event to Southern California. The Golden Dragon Parade also includes fun events such as the Miss L.A. Chinatown Fashion Show, Chinese New Year Festival, and Banquet and Car Show.

New York

More than 400,000 fireworks will light the skies over Roosevelt Park on January 26, shortly followed by the annual parade on February 1. New York’s thriving Chinatown will be expecting more than 500,000 attendees, who will have the pride and pleasure to enjoy the parade of martial arts demonstrations and live bands. In the boroughs of Brooklyn and Queens, the whole neighborhood will be coming together in their own brand of celebration.

Houston

The Asian community of Houston will join to help preserve the traditions for their children in a variety of events. On January 31, the city hosts an indoor/outdoor show with 500 booths of Asian foods, carnival games, and gifts for the family. This week, the Lunar New Year Wonderweek began at the Children’s Museum. It’s a fun place to engage young kids in the holiday, where they can create pretend fireworks, design a dragon puppet, or perform the dragon dance to bring good luck.

Honolulu

In Hawaii, the party has already started. The Mayor declared January the annual “Month in Chinatown,” so the entire city has spent the entire month honoring the Chinese New Year. The highlight of the occasion falls on January 24, when they’ll host their Chinatown Festival from street to street and begin the Chinatown Parade at the State Capitol. The days leading to the festival include an all-day block party with favorite dishes such as jai (vegetarian roll), gin doi (Chinese doughnut), and gau (New Year pudding).