Lunar New Year Celebrations and Resources

2023 is a special year in the lunar calendar, celebrating two zodiacs – the rabbit and the cat. While it is the Year of the Rabbit in countries such as China and Korea, the Vietnamese community celebrates the Year of the Cat.

Picture books:
Tomorrow is New Year’s Day
How to Catch a Dragon
Goldy Luck and the Three Pandas
Twelve in a Race
Playing with Lanterns

Board books:
It’s Your Year, Baby Rabbit
Lucky Lunar Animals
Baby Loves Lunar Phases

Celebrations:
Now-February: Winter Lantern Festival
Winter Lantern Festival comes to the Washington DC, Maryland, and Virginia area for its FIRST immersive DMV Winter Lantern Festival! From New York with 150,000 annual guests, 3 years in a row, this is an experience you don’t want to miss! Lerner Town Square at Tysons II has been transformed into a dazzling world of light with over 1000 Chinese lanterns; all handmade by artisans with decades of experience.

January 21, 10:30am-12:00pm: Chinese Lunar New Year Celebration at Cleveland Park Library
Enjoy a variety of activities and crafts, including chop stick practice and decorating a lantern! For ages 2 and up. First come, first served, while supplies last.

January 21, 12:00pm-4:00pm: Lunar New Year 2023 Celebration at the National Museum of Asian Art
Bounce into the Year of the Rabbit and celebrate Lunar New Year at the National Museum of Asian Art! Free attractions for all ages, including performances, demos, a curator tour, hands-on activities, and more. 

The celebration will include:  

• A traditional lion dance performance, 3.p.m.
• Cooking demonstration, 1 p.m.
• Hands-on crafts and activities, 12–4 p.m. 
• Lunar New Year curator-led gallery tour, 12 p.m. 
• Featured exhibitions Journey of Color; Rediscovering Korea’s Past; and Looking Out, Looking In

January 21, 6:00pm: Lunar New Year at the Millennium Stage
The Kennedy Center’s Lunar New Year Celebration honors the traditional holiday that is observed in countries and territories around the globe. Join us for a free performance in the “Year of the Rabbit” with a special program that highlights Chinese Culture.

January 22, 2:00pm: DC Chinese New Year Parade
The 2023 Annual Chinese Lunar New Year parade is organized by the Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association of Washington, DC (CCBA) in partnership with the DC Mayor’s Office on Asian and Pacific Islander Affairs (MOAPIA). The streets of DC Chinatown will fill will revelers and spectators as we celebrate the Year of the Rabbit. We will host a dynamic community-based parade that will include a range of cultural and community performers. The finale will feature a firecracker show in the middle of H Street. Come early for a bite to eat at one of the many local eateries and restaurants and then grab your curb-side vantage point to witness the colorful pageantry to come!

January 28, 11:30am-3:00pm: In-Person Lunar New Year Family Celebration
Ring in the Lunar New Year at SAAM! Join us for our annual celebration featuring Chinese and Korean traditions, including performances, crafts, food, and more. Learn about the importance of the Lunar New Year across cultures and explore SAAM’s collections with an art scavenger hunt. A special menu in honor of Lunar New Year will be offered by the Courtyard Café. Check out our Family Zone for more crafts and activities to celebrate the Year of the Rabbit. A special menu in honor of Lunar New Year will be offered by the Courtyard Café. This program is presented in partnership with the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in the United States of America and with the Korean Cultural Center, Washington, D.C. and is part of Lunar New Year DC, organized by the Smithsonian American Art Museum.