Chinese New Year: Celebrating The Year of the Serpent in New Jersey and at Home

It’s time to start anew and sweep out all the bad luck of 2012. Celebrating Chinese New Year with your family can be a blast, not to mention cleansing! Of course, New York City's celebrations are wonderful, but there is fun to be in had in New Jersey as well. Bring in the Year of the Serpent the right way, with dance, family workshops, music or stay home for cleaning, food, crafts and more! 

Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company, Hamilton
Check out this Chinese New Year Celebration at the Grounds for Sculpture in Hamilton featuring the Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company and Paper Cut Master Ho-Tien Cheng. The dance group uses “flowing lines, twirling ribbons and the thunderous motion of martial arts” in their traditional and contemporary dance. The event is recommended for children ages eight and up. Saturday, January 26, 2013 at 2pm. $15/ticket for members and $20/ticket for non-members, purchase tickets by January 25 and park admission is free! (800) 650-0246

Family Time Workshop: Celebrate the Chinese New Year, Newark Head on over to NJPAC and celebrate the Chinese New Year with this family workshop, led by choreographer Nai-Ni Chen and members of her company and learn to “Ribbon Dance”! Saturday, February 9, 2013 at 12:30pm. $7/ticket. (888) 466-5722

CAME: Chinese American Music Ensemble Scotch Plains
Although it's not listed on their website events for some reason, The Scotch Plains Public Library will host The Chinese American Music Ensemble performing tradition Chinese choral music as well as songs translated into Chinese. Sunday, February 3 at 2pm; seating will begin at 1:30pm. Free.

Lunar New Year Celebration, Cherry Hill
The Garden State Discovery Museum welcomes in the Year of the Serpent! The Mei Mei dancers will perform cultural song and dance. Plus, create traditional works of art and participate in a martial arts demonstration. Saturday, February 9, 2013 from 11am – 4pm (Mei Mei Dancers perform at 1pm and 3:30pm). Free with admission. $10.95/ticket for adults and children 12 months and up. 856-424-1233

You don’t have to go out to celebrate Chinese New Year. Here are some tips to celebrate the Year of the Serpent at home:

• Clean your home. Yes, it sounds like a chore, but it is traditional to clean your home before the New Year to “sweep away the bad luck.” Get the kids to help out! But, don’t clean during the New Year – or you risk sweeping away all the good luck that will come in the new year.
• Be a wok star! Making traditional foods is a big way to celebrate the New Year. A large New Year’s Eve meal is the most important dinner of the year on the Chinese calendar. Try some recipes like Guotie Pot Stickers, Peking Duck or Green Tea Fortune Cookies here. 
• Get crafty. Try some of these fantastic crafts to celebrate the New Year with the kids, including Chinese Lanterns, Dancing Dragons and Paper Bag Puppets here.