Chinese New Year, also known as Chinese Lunar New Year or Spring Festival—which is the literal translation—is the celebration of the turn of the lunisolar Chinese calendar.

Across the globe, Chinese New Year is one of the most colorful and vibrant annual celebrations and Chinese New Year in NYC is no different.

When is Chinese New Year? Chinese New Year 2016 is Monday February 8th.

The date changes yearly and coincides with the new moon between January 21st and February 20th.

Chinese New Year is believed to have started with a mythical beast known as Nian, who would eat people. It was discovered Nian was afraid of red, and in order to scare him off villagers would hang red objects, including red lanterns, in front of their homes. They’d also wear red clothes and light firecrackers to scare him.

This is the beginning of the two most well-known and best parts of Chinese New Year, fireworks and the Lantern Festival.

Each year of the Chinese calendar is related to an animal. There are twelve zodiac animals, each with a different meaning, particularly for those born in that year. 2016 is the Year of the Monkey. The monkey is the ninth animal of the zodiac. Monkey years are always multiples of twelve.

So, what does it mean to be born in the year of the monkey? Well, it’s a good year. People born under this sign are usually considered to be smart, do well in their career, and are often blessed when it comes to wealth. They also do well in love, which may be attributed to their gentle, honest nature.

It’s not all good news, though. The downside of being a monkey is a quick temper and arrogance.

Monkeys are are perfect match for the ox and rabbit but should avoid tigers and pigs.

No matter what animal sign you were born under, it’s still a time for celebration and the way the holiday is observed can vary around the world and even within China.

Chinese New Year celebrations in New York will be typically amazing. Hornblower Cruises & Events will have the best view of the fireworks aboard our Chinese New Year Fireworks Cruise, Saturday, February 6th. Apart from amazing views, you’ll get a 2-hour cruise plus an hour dockside, Asian-inspired buffet, DJ and dancing, and more. It’s a worthy way to ring in the new year.

How do you say, happy new year in Chinese? Gong Xi Fa Cai!