It is the start of 15 days of festivities to welcome in what is called the Year of the Rat. Along with parties, a key part of the tradition is food.
[Ads /]
The Lunar New Year is a busy time in Chinatown, and on the eve of the New Year, there is a feast known as the 'reunion dinner.'
RELATED: Lunar New Year celebrations to stream live on abc7NY.
Felicia Guo has a media company that promotes Chinese culture - she is joining the meal made of friends rather than family at Amazing 66 restaurant on Mott Street.
Every food has a symbolic meaning - either wealth, health or good luck.
[Ads /]
The celebratory meal almost always includes eight dishes. The number eight is lucky - often times there is one whole fish, but you are encouraged to have some left over to represent a surplus for the year.
Long noodles represent longevity - slurping is encouraged. The rooster symbolizes wealth, shrimp plays on the idea of laughter, lobster is for energy, steak inside a squash is a house full of treasures, and dumplings are traditional in Northern China. There are also eight dried oysters and pork feet.
And it is not just food at these meals - there is also good fortune.
----------
* More Manhattan news
* Send us a news tip
* Download the abc7NY app for breaking news alerts
* Follow us on YouTube