Looking for lots of noise and a strong tang of gunpowder in the air? Look no further than the Sara Roosevelt Park located on Chrystie Street and Forsyth Street in Manhattan’s Lower East Side. It’s the New Year’s Day Firecracker Ceremony and Cultural festival to celebrate Chinese Lunar New Year on January 28, 2017.
This is the year of the Red Rooster! According to reliable (and apparently more accurate) sources: ‘According to the Chinese Horoscope theory, Chicken [sic not rooster] is a Female Metal. Female Metal is related to gold, precious gem or jewelry. That means Chicken implies luxury, beauty, and wealth. Red Fire of 2017 is related to the light bulb. When the light comes on the top of jewelry, Chicken can show more value from its outlook. That implies we will deal with financial events in the year of the Chicken.’ You can find the complete 2017 horoscope—and a dynamite one for Donald Trump—here.
It’s unclear why the Chinese New Year Parade is scheduled to take place a week later on February 5, 2017, but it is. Festivities start at 1pm but best to get there around noon if you want to have a hope of seeing dragons and tigers and dancers (and a slew of local politicians). Come hungry for some excellent Asian food of all kinds in the many reasonably priced restaurants—but do prepare to wait on line. Don’t worry, it’s worth it!