Celebrating the Chinese New Year Around Long Island

This Saturday, January 28^th, marks the celebration of the Chinese New Year. According to the Chinese zodiac calendar, 2017 is the year of the Fire Rooster, indicating a time of patience and perseverance. To take part in some of the celebrations for the Chinese New Year, check out some of the events and activities below.

Lunar New Year Celebration at Stonybrook

The Wang Center at Stonybrook University will be celebrating the Lunar New Year with a festival to commemorate the Year of the Rooster. The event will take place Saturday, February 4^th from 2:00-4:00pm and includes New Year craft activities from China, Japan, Korea, and Vietnam, including calligraphy demonstrations, paper cutting, origami folding, and much more. To register for the event in advance, which is highly recommended, click here.

Practice Chinese Cooking

Those who celebrate the Chinese New Year often have a big dinner on New Years Eve, which is comparable to the amount of food that we serve on Thanksgiving. Some traditional dishes that are typically served on the holiday include Rice Cake, Whole Fish, Sweet Rice Balls, and Turnip Cake. To take a stab at cooking some of these traditional meals yourself, check out this site, which offers a list of recipes to follow. For a more contemporary approach, you can also check out this recipe listing from Food Network.

And if you’re not into cooking your own Chinese meal, there’s always take out!

Indulge in Chinese Take Out

Pay a visit or place a delivery order at Ming’s House Chinese Food or China King. If you’re willing to venture out of your immediate area for a taste of the really good stuff, Newsday rated Yao’s Diner in Centereach as one of the best Chinese restaurants on the island. If you stop by, be sure to order the West Lake Beef Soup and the Beijing-style noodles.