The Empire State Building will turn red to ring in the Lunar New Year
New Yorkers will be seeing red this Thursday night, but not in a bad way—the Empire State Building is rouge-ening up Manhattan’s skyline to celebrate the start of the Lunar New Year the right way.
In Chinese culture, red is associated with life-generating energy that symbolizes good fortune and prosperity, per the National Museum of Asian Art. It’s good luck to shroud yourself in red as soon as the new year starts—which includes wearing a pair of red underwear if you have some.
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The Lunar New Year officially starts this Saturday, February 10, and will continue through Saturday, February 24. In several Asian cultures, the Lunar New Year represents the start of Spring and follows the 12 cycles of the lunar phases, as opposed to the Western system, which focuses on the sun. Previously commonly referred to as the Chinese New Year, the Lunar New Year is also celebrated in South Korea, Vietnam and other countries with large diasporic Chinese populations.
This is the year of the Dragon, which is the fifth animal in the zodiac, and also one of the luckiest years in Chinese culture, since dragons are associated with increased strength, wisdom, and success. You are a dragon in the Chinese zodiac if you were born in the years 1940, 1952, 1964, 1976, 1988, 2000 or 2012.
To celebrate changing its iconic lights to red, the Empire State Building is also hosting a celebration with traditional Chinese dancers earlier in the day on February 8. They’ll also reveal their Year of the Dragon-themed lobby, which faces Fifth Avenue. On top of that, local boba shop Débutea will host a pop-up on the building’s 86th-floor observatory from 10am to 8pm. You can get more information on the events on the Empire State Building’s website.