The Massachusetts Office of Travel & Tourism (MOTT) has compiled a schedule of Lunar New Year activities in 2020 to highlight the cultural traditions of Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese and other Asian-American ethnic communities in the Bay State. Events range from music concerts and art exhibits to culinary events and community parades.
Lunar New Year is known by many names: the Vietnamese call their celebration Tết, while South Koreans call theirs Wondan and in China it is simply called Chinese New Year.
2020 is designated as the Year of the Rat, the first Chinese zodiac sign.
“Historically, the Chinese calendar was based upon the lunar cycle, and Lunar New Year signified the beginning of the new planting cycle for agriculture,” said Susan Cho of the Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association of New England (CCBA).
The 426,225 Asian-American residents in the Bay State represent 7% of the population, according to the US Census Bureau. There are 33,875+ Asian-American small business in Massachusetts, and 20,000+ students from Asia attending colleges and universities here. Massachusetts has strong connections with Asia in trade and commerce. In 2017, Massachusetts exceeded $18 billion in trade with Asian nations.
According to MOTT, 546,500 travelers from Asian countries visited the Bay State in 2017, spending $1.65 billion and generating $105 million in state and local taxes. Boston Logan International Airport has direct flights between Boston and Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong Tokyo and Seoul.
2020 Selection of Lunar New Year Events in Massachusetts
January 31
Chinese New Year Tea
Mandarin Oriental Hotel
Boston
January, 31
Celebrate Lunar New Year
Boston Children’s Museum
Boston
January 31
Lunar New Year
Clark University
Worcester
7 – 11 p.m.
January 31
Chinese New Year Sabbat Dinner
Temple Emanu-El
Marblehead
February 1
Tet with Vong Tay Cha Me Viet
Dorchester
Noon – 3 p.m.
February 1
Tet in Boston Concert
Dorchester
7:30 – 11:30 p.m.
February 1
Bambo Circle x Lunar New Year
Pao Arts Center
Boston
2 – 5 p.m.
February 1
MFA’s Lunar New Year Celebration
Museum of Fine Arts
Boston
10 a.m. – 5 p.m.
February 1
Yamato: The Drummers of Japan
Berklee Performance Center
Boston
8 – 10 p.m.
February 2
Chinese New Year Parade
Chinatown, Boston
10 a.m. – 3 p.m.
February 2
32nd Annual Lunar New Year Festival
North Quincy
11 a.m. – 1 p.m.
February 4
Lunar New Year Celebration
New England School of Acupuncture
Worcester
Noon – 1:30 p.m.
February 6
Berklee College of Music Presents
Chinese New Year Concert
Berklee Performance Center, Back Bay, Boston
8 – 10 p.m.
February 7
Chinese New Year Celebration
MOM’s Club of North Central Massachusetts
Lancaster
5 – 7 p.m.
February 7
This is Tet 2020
Grand Ballroom, UMass, Lowell
10 a.m. – 4 p.m.
February 8
VietAid Tet Celebration
Dorchester
10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
February 16
Tet in Boston
BC High School, Dorchester
10:30 – 5 p.m.
For information on visiting Massachusetts, go to massvacation.com.