Tuesday, February 1, 2022 marks the start of the Lunar New Year! Lunar New Year events in New Jersey are already planned and some start as early as January 24, 2022.
Maybe you don’t know how to celebrate Lunar New Year … well don’t miss out! It’s a fun, vibrant, 2 week long celebration and Jersey Family Fun is your resource for local Lunar New Year events all over New Jersey.
Yes, in the past we and others have referred to the Lunar New Year as the Chinese New Year. It turns out that name isn’t completely accurate and we were wrong. The Lunar New Year is an event to celebrate Chinese, Vietnamese and Korean cultures. Our thanks to our Facebook fan who pointed out the mistake and helped us in our goal of being more inclusive and representative of all the wonderful cultures we have in New Jersey.
Before you start – know that 2022 is the year of the tiger; it’s the year 4720 in the Lunar New Year. In Asian cultures animals take on a lot of significance in these events each year.
In China, the Tiger is the king of all beasts. It represents strength and braveness. Kids may wear hat or shoes with tigers to bring good luck.
Each year the dragon is an important part of Lunar New Year Celebrations. It’s another important animal in China, as it symbolizes strength, benevolence, and good fortune. Incorporate the dragon and the tiger into your fun and find some Lunar New Year crafts your children can do to get them excited for the events. Keep reading to find out how to get our newest coloring book, a Chinese New Year activity book complete with activity and coloring pages with dragons and other symbols representative of Chinese cultures.
Celebrate The Year of the Ox (Lunar New Year) with these Local Lunar New Year Events
Free & Cheap Local Lunar New Year Events in New Jersey
NOTE, many NJ libraries and organizations have suspended in person activities. Instead they are hosting virtual events. We are currently confirming these and other 2022 events for the Lunar New Year. Please note that many organizations may have their events listed as Chinese New Year events.
North Jersey Chinese and Lunar New Year Events
Lunar and Chinese New Year Events in Bergen County NJ
- Virtual
- Virtual Lunar New Year Story Time at River Vale Library – As of January 17, 2022 there are no details about a 2022 event. Learn more about this Chinese New Year event in River Vale, New Jersey
- Online Lunar New Year Celebrations at the Fort Lee Library – Some in-person programs will resume at Fort Lee Library on February 14. Until then, programs will be virtual or rescheduled. Join Dale Talde, Fort Lee resident, three time cheftestant and judge on Bravo’s Emmy Award-winning culinary show, “Top Chef”; as he demonstrates how to prepare a traditional dish for Lunar New Year.. Learn more about this Lunar New Year cooking event in Fort Lee, New Jersey.
- Online Lunar New Year Celebration at Tenafly Library – As of January 17, 2022 there are no details about a Chinese New Year event at the Tenafly Public Library. Learn more about the past Lunar New Year event in Tenafly, New Jersey.
- Participate in the virtual Lunar New Year storytime and craft at the River Edge Public Libary. Get more details on their calendar of events.
- Ramsey – The Ramsey Free Public Library has 3 virtual Chinese New Year events. Take a look at these event listings.
- The Paramus Public Library has 2 virtual Chinese New Year events happening over 4 sessions. Take a look at these event listings.
- Celebrate Chinese New Year
- Lunar New Year Dumpling Making for Teens (Must be Paramus residents)
- East Rutherford – Lunar New Year Celebration in East Rutherford at American Dream
- Ridgefield Park – Celebrate Lunar New Year at the Ridgefield Park Public Library. Get the details for this Chinese New Year event on their calendar.
Chinese and Lunar New Year Events in Essex County NJ
- Virtual – There’s a virtual Lunar New Year Craft in Maplewood hosted by the Hilton Branch Library. Using a kit attendees will create a dragon to welcome the Lunar New Year. Get the details about this Lunar New Year Craft in Maplewood at Hilton Branch Library.
- Belleville – Celebrate with a Chinese New Year Craft at Belleville Library. Learn more about this Lunar craft event.
- Livingston – The Livingston Public Library wiull have take and make Lunar New Year Tiger Craft. Get more details from their website.
- Maplewood Township – Visit the Lunar Fest NJ happenning in Maplewood Township at The Woodland on Saturday, January 23, 2022. Learn more in our calendar event listing.
- West Orange – There will be a Lunar New Year Celebration at the West Orange Public Library. Get the details for this 2022 Chinese New Year event on their calendar.
Lunar and Chinese New Year Events in Hudson County NJ
- Virtual – Join North Bergen Library on Zoom to celebrate the Year of the Tiger by learning how to fold a tiger bookmark and Chinese lantern with CAFC art teacher, Wendy Zhang! Get the details on this virtual Chinese New Year Craft at North Bergen Library.
- Hoboken – Lunar New Year at Hoboken Library – It’s the year of the TIGER! The Hoboken Library is celebrating with a make and take activity for kids. Learn more about in this Chinese New Year event in Hoboken, New Jersey.
Chinese and Lunar New Year Events in Morris County NJ
- Virtual
- Online Lunar New Year Celebration at Montville Library – Celebrate Chinese New Year with stories and craft! Learn more about this Chinese New Year event in Montville, New Jersey.
- Lunar New Year Story Time at Museum of Early Trades and Crafts – Join METC for a special virtual story time on Facebook celebrating Lunar New Year! There will be a reading PoPo’s Lucky Chinese New Year by Virginia Loh-Hagan. Learn more about this virtual Lunar New Year Story Time.
- Lake Hiawatha – The Lake Hiawatha Library is offering a Chinese New Year Picture Frame Craft as a make and take craft for kids and teens for the Chinese New Year. Use this registration form to register.
Lunar and Chinese New Year Events in Passaic County NJ
- Virtual – Lunar New Year at Clifton Allwood Library – Make a dragon mask to celebrate the Lunar New Year! Learn more about this Chinese New Year event in Clifton, New Jersey.
Lunar and Chinese New Year Events in Union County NJ
- Virtual
- There’s a virtual Lunar New Year Celebration at Clark Library. Join them as they celebrate the year of the Tiger via Zoom with crafts, games, and more. Learn more in our event listing.
- Origami crafter Michele Chang will explain the traditions of the Chinese New Year and teach guests how to fold an origami tiger for the virtual Lunar New Year Craft at Plainfield Library. Get the details on the Lunar New Year Craft at Plainfield Library.
Lunar and Chinese New Year Events in Warren County NJ
- Virtual – Learn about the Lunar New Year and make a Chinese paper lantern during this Lunar New Year Celebration at Warren County Library. Learn more about this virtual Lunar New Year event being hosted by Warren County Library.
Chinese and Lunar New Year Events in Central New Jersey
Lunar and Chinese New Year Events in Middlesex County NJ
- Virtual
- Virtual Chinese New Year Celebration at New Brunswick Library – Celebrate Chinese New Year with two Chinese ancient folk arts – Chinese Knotting and Paper Cutting. Learn more about this Chinese New Year event in New Brunswick, New Jersey.
- Online Lunar New Year Celebration at Sayreville Library – As of January 20, 2022 the library is not open for regular activities. There are no details about a Chinese New Year event at the Sayreville Library for 2022. Learn more about this Lunar New Year event in Sayreville, New Jersey.
- VIRTUAL Lunar New Year Party in Monroe Township – Learn more about this Chinese New Year event in our event listing.
- Lunar New Year for Kids in Piscataway at Kennedy Library – Join Ms. Peggy and Phylicia Mak, Arts Academy student from Piscataway High School, to learn about the traditions and festivities related to this holiday! Learn more about this virtual Lunar New Year event for kids being hosted by the Kennedy Library.
Chinese and Lunar New Year Events in Somerset County NJ
- Virtual – Virtual Lunar New Year Celebration at Somerset County Libraries – Explore the customs of the Lunar New Year and learn to draw this year’s lunar animal with New York Times bestselling author Grace Lin. Learn more about this Chinese New Year online event in New Jersey.
- Bridgewater
- Bridgewater Commons Celebrates Lunar New Year With Lion Dance – This event will return for 2022. Visit our event listing here for more details.
- Lion Dance at the Bridgewater library – Celebrate the 2022 Lunar New Year with a traditional Lion Dance performance. – View more details in our Calendar event listing.
- Somerville – Lunar New Year Celebration in Somerville at Somerville Branch Library
South Jersey Lunar and Chinese New Year Events
- Lunar New Year Story Time in Marlton at Evesham Library
Chinese and Lunar New Year Events in Ocean County NJ
- Virtual – Celebrate with a 2022 Chinese New Year event, The Year of the Tiger, being held virtually at the Lacey Branch. Details in this event listing.
Be sure to check out the Ocean County Library 2022 calendar for Chinese New Year crafts that can be picked up at many branch locations while supplies last!
- Teen Take & Make: Lunar New Year Scratch Lanterns at the Brick Branch Library.
- Take & Make: Lunar New Year Tiger Craft at the Manchester Branch Library.
- Chinese New Year Take & Make Craft at the Brick Branch Library.
- Children’s Take & Make Craft: Chinese New Year’s Paper Drum Craft at the Tuckerton Branch Library.
- Kids Take & Make: Chinese New Year at the Long Beach Island Branch Library.
- Take & Make Craft: New Year Lantern at the Toms River Branch Library.
Visit one of these other Chinese & Lunar New Year Events in New Jersey
We’ve found additional Lunar and Chinese New Year events in New Jersey. These have an admission price over $5 but we think you may still enjoy them with your kids.
More Lunar New Year events in North Jersey
Celebrate the Chinese Lunar Year or Chinese New Year traditions at the arboretum!
- Reeves-Reed Arboretum, Summit, February 1, 2022, 4:00 – 5:00 PM, $20/person non members. Come celebrate the Chinese New Year as we create crafts and enjoy stories commemorating the Year of the Tiger! Masks are mandatory and registration is required. For more information visit their site here or call 908-273-8787.
Enjoy the music of the New Jersey Symphony during their Lunar New Year Celebration.
- Celebrate the Year of the Tiger as the New Jersey Symphony continues a tradition that welcomes all audiences for a festive evening of community and cultural exchange. The concert is Saturday, January 29 at 7:30 pm. Visit the NJ Symphony website to learn more.
More Lunar New Year events in Central Jersey
- Coming soon.
More Lunar New Year events in South Jersey
- Coming soon.
Celebrate the Chinese New Year with our Chinese New Year Coloring Book
Our newest Jersey Family Fun book is a Chinese New Year coloring and activity book.
Our 12-page Chinese New Year activity book has at least 10 pages that have graphics that can be colored. In addition to coloring pages in this Chinese New Year coloring book, there are activities on the pages. The activities include a dot and color, word scramble, word search, maze, trace the line, i-spy, and more.
Our Chinese New Year coloring and activity book is available in 2 formats.
- Digital (Print at home) – Buy it on Etsy.
- Paperback – Buy it on Amazon (Coming soon)
- Please note the paperback version is 24 pages to allow for blank pages between the activity pages and coloring sheets.
As the author of these books and an affiliate for both Amazon and Etsy we earn a percentage of the book sales. Thanks for showing your support of Jersey Family Fun with your purchase.
Lunar and Chinese New Year Events Near New Jersey
No Chinese New Year parades that we could find in New Jersey, but head across the bridges for the following:
Watch a Chinese New Year parade in New York and visit the festival!
We believe the Chinese New Year Parade in New York City will be back for 2022. The date we’ve seen listed in a few places is Saturday, February 1, 2022 from noon to 3 pm. The NY Chinese New Year Parade starts at Mott Street and will travel nearly every street in Chinatown. It will end at Broome/Forsyth where a festival complete with dancers, musicians, and martial artists will take over. Visit the Chinese New Year blog for more information at https://chinesenewyearblog.com/chinese-new-year-parade-new-york.
Or visit Philly for the Chinese Lunar New Year Celebration!
Celebrate the Spring Festival which will welcome in the Year of Tiger at the Parkway Central Library! In Montgomery Auditorium, you will experience martial arts, folk music, Chinese opera, and dances from across multiple historical dynasties. In the galleries, they will highlight the beauty and harmony of these community collaborations with a Chinese water-ink calligraphy demonstration.
Organized by the WE Cultural Exchange Institute in collaboration with the Free Library of Philadelphia. The event is Saturday, February 5, 2022, from noon to 4 pm. Learn more in this event listing.
Virtual Chinese New Year events
Would you like to celebrate the Chinese New Year from your home? Check out these additional Chinese New Year virtual events.
Free Online Chinese New Year Family Festival
Join CI Online on January 29, 2022 from 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM for a Free Chinese New Year Family Festival!
Experience an interactive cartooning workshop, a New Year read-aloud storytime, and a creative lantern art exercise from 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM ET to welcome and celebrate The Year of the Tiger.
Register online– the participation link will be provided in advance- and gather materials to experience immersive, engaging, cultural activities! No previous Chinese language skills are required.
We are updating as we find more Chinese New Year events, celebrations, parades, and festivals. Check back often!
Not ready to dive into Chinese New Year festivities? Start slow and take your family out for some dim sum or traditional Chinese food but be sure to crack open some fortune cookies.
Angelina Capalbo
Friday 16th of February 2018
Play City in Weehawken has a free storytime today at 3:30pm and we are celebrating Chinese New Year with a book and craft.
Jennifer A.
Wednesday 21st of February 2018
Thank you so much for letting us know. However, it was too short notice for us to include it on our calendar of events. - Jenn
Annette Tsang
Saturday 28th of January 2017
There appears to be a typo posted on January 18 - it should be Year of the Rooster (not monkey) Chinese New Year January 28, 2017 Thanks.
Jennifer A.
Sunday 29th of January 2017
Thank you Annette. - Jenn
Donna
Sunday 27th of December 2015
Will you be doing another list for 2016? Thanks.
Jennifer A.
Monday 28th of December 2015
Yes, we will Donna. The updated list should be out soon. - Jenn