The Chinese New Year is right around the corner, and there are many ways to celebrate. Each year the festival starts on the second new moon after the winter solstice, which will take place on February 5th this year. This is traditionally a time of celebration, during which festivities mark a clean slate on the Chinese calendar. Join in on the fun by taking part in local activities—Philly has much more to offer than you might imagine.
Dumpling Academy is a Philadelphia project aimed at organizing recreational activities for people of all backgrounds. For the Chinese New Year, they are leading classes that teach students how to make bubble tea and dumplings! They describe the event as “easy,” “fun,” and “beginner–friendly.” The classes are set to take place from Feb. 2 through Feb. 5 in Chinatown, and tickets start at $65.
This year a “Midnight Lion Dance” is being hosted by the Philadelphia Suns and the Philadelphia Chinatown Development Corporation to ring in the new year. The event is taking place on Feb. 4 at 11:30 p.m. into the night until 1 a.m. on Tenth and Race streets. This traditional Asian dance is meant to bring fortune and luck for the new year.
This year, Reading Terminal Market is working with the Philadelphia Chinatown Development Corporation to celebrate the Lunar New Year. On Feb. 2, there are a host of events planned to take place from 10:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. There will be a Chinese New Year food tour through Reading Terminal Market and Chinatown, and they will also host a calligrapher, an arts and crafts seller, dance performances, and more in honor of the holiday.
This “restaurant entertainment experience” is going all out for the New Year. The restaurant's Facebook event page boasts "a Lava Rock buffet showcasing Chinese cuisine dishes, Chinese New Year entertainment, and a raffle for a magnum bottle of Vueve Champagne." The event will take place on Feb. 2, and tasting menu tickets—starting at $50—are already up for sale.
Get your zen on for the new year with yogi Danielle Mercurio on Feb. 5. Mercurio promises an “experience to cultivate and manifest with the energy of the New Moon and Lunar New Year.” The class will take place at Vitality Meditation and is open to all levels of experience. Tickets start at $23, and participants are promised a digital 2019 Astrology Guide in addition to the class.
The Independence Seaport Museum is holding a family–friendly event to celebrate the Lunar New Year. The event will take place on Feb. 2 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., and is intended to educate the public about Chinese, Korean, Japanese, and Vietnamese cultures. Available activities include calligraphy, dragon puppet making, lantern–building, and drum–crafting. Adult tickets are $17 and can be purchased here.
This upcoming year, the Year of the Pig, symbolizes wealth and good fortune. You can read more about the Year of the Pig and about your Chinese horoscope here.
