NEW YORK, Jan. 31 (Xinhua) -- There are at least 12 "Best Places" to celebrate the upcoming Lunar New Year in the United States, reported Thrillist, an online media website covering food, drink, travel and entertainment in the United States.
"Lunar New Year is a sacred time for many Asian cultures. February 1st marks the beginning of the Year of the Tiger, a time that promises radical change in all areas of our lives as we feel driven to take risks, be adventurous, act bold, and uplift one another," said the report.
From joyful gifts of red envelopes to energetic traditional dances and meals symbolizing good luck-pork dishes, dumplings, heaving bowls of sticky rice -- there's no one way to celebrate the Chinese Lunar New Year, added the website.
"Chinese Lunar New Year celebrations in San Francisco, California, go strong for nearly one month straight," said Thrillist. There are loads of events, from the Flower Market Fair on Jan. 29 right up through the city's official Chinese New Year Parade on Feb. 19.
Each year, Seattle's Chinatown hosts a Lunar New Year Celebration, with vendors, music, and dancing. That same day, the annual Food Walk will get visitors all the dumplings and sticky rice snacks they crave from participating local restaurants.
In Los Angeles, California, on Feb. 20, patrons will want to be at the one-day-only Lunar New Year Festival in the heart of the Chinese community in Alhambra. Lion dances, kung fu demonstrations, taiko drummers and fan dancers will be staged.
"Lunar New Year in New York City and its five boroughs has the distinct honor of boasting not just one Chinatown, but several," said Thrillist. Travelers and tourists can easily access Manhattan's Chinatown, where the Firecracker Ceremony and Cultural Festival lights up the night on Feb. 1.
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, goes all out for the Lunar New Year, with an impressive showing of cultural activities around town. A visit to the Philadelphia Museum of Art's Galleries of Chinese Art, home to more than 7,000 items from furniture and costumes to jade and sculptures, is wellworthy.
Chicago, Illinois, plans to celebrate Year of the Tiger with event after event after event. There's the Chinatown parade on Feb. 13, a procession of lion dances, colorful floats, and music. Traditional dim sum spots and bakeries can be found at the oldest dining houses in Chinatown.
On Feb. 4-6 in New Orleans, Louisiana, the place to be is the Mary Queen of Vietnam Church for Tet Fest, the city's free celebration of the Vietnamese New Year. Between the lion dances and the live music and the acrobatic stunts and the raffles, visitors can fill up on classics like sticky rice cakes, banh mi, and pho.
In addition, Houston in Texas turns out for Lunar New Year, said Thrillist. On Feb. 5 and 6, the city's various Asian American groups converge to celebrate a new year of openness with this free, family-friendly event.
"Boasting demos of Korean and Vietnamese folk dances, lion dances and martial arts performances, and vendors serving everything from baked goods to bubble tea, Houston's gathering was years in the making," it added. ■