Downtown Express photos by Tequilla Minsky

During the Chinese New year it is tradition to hand out money in red envelopes like the one above.

Prepping for the Year of the Rabbit

On February 3 between 11 a.m. and 3:30 p.m., there will be firecrackers and cultural performances in Roosevelt Park between Grand and Hester Streets, and lion, dragon and unicorn dance troupes strutting up and down Chinatown’s major streets. On Sunday, February 6, an elaborate parade with floats, dancers, musicians and acrobats will march through Chinatown.

For more insight into these festivities and their history, visit the Museum of Chinese in America (MOCA) at 215 Centre Street (one block north of Canal Street). The museum offers one-and-a-half hour walking tours on Saturday, January 29, Sunday, January 30 and Saturday, February 5 from 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. The tours introduce visitors to holiday traditions and point out how the neighborhood prepares for the lunar new year holiday. Advance reservations are required. Call 212-619-4785 or send an email to education@mocanyc.org for more information. The museum’s website is http://www.mocanyc.org/