\u65e9\u5b89\uff0c\u661f\u671f\u56db\u3002 (Good morning on this Thursday.)
Once upon a time, as one version of the Chinese folklore goes, 12 animals competed in a big race across a river.
The rat jumped on the back of the kindhearted ox, who saw no problem giving the little guy a lift from one riverbank to the other. But as they neared the finish line \u2014 ahead of the others \u2014 the rat jumped off the ox and snatched first place. The ox came in a close second.
The Year of the Rat is, then, the first on the Chinese zodiac calendar, followed by the Year of the Ox, and so forth, based on the order in which the creatures finished the race.
This Chinese Lunar New Year, a multiweek celebration that begins on Saturday, marks the Year of the Rooster.
\u201cRoosters have been viewed, from around 1,000 B. C. E., as in charge of time,\u201d said Shenzhan Liao , the director of the school of Chinese studies at the China Institute , a cultural and education center in downtown Manhattan. \u201cThe rooster wakes up the day and is considered to be in charge of the light.\u201d
(The rooster, the 10th year of the zodiac, is also symbolic of hard work and diligence, she added \u2014 always the first one up, with energy to take on a new day. Perhaps we New Yorkers might actually be roosters in human bodies?)
New York City has the largest Chinese population of any city outside Asia, according to the Department of City Planning, and the city officially recognized the Lunar New Year as a public school holiday last year.
To honor the occasion, the Empire State Building will shine red and gold tonight and there will be fireworks over the Hudson River .
There will be a large firecracker ceremony in Chinatown on Saturday, followed by festivities on Staten Island on Sunday and at the China Institute , the American Museum of Natural History , Flushing Town Hall and the Queens Botanical Garden next weekend. The 18th Lunar New Year Parade will march through Chinatown on Feb. 5.
While the Lunar New Year has always been important here, it\u2019s especially so this year, given our political climate and the state of international relations, Ms. Liao said.
\u201cPeople are not so sure about aspects of U. S.-China relations, and celebrating holidays and Chinese culture is even more important when there\u2019s uncertainty in the economic or political field,\u201d she said. \u201cCultural ties will never cease in importance.\u201d
\u606d\u79a7\u53d1\u8d22. (We wish you good fortune in the Year of the Rooster.)
Here\u2019s what else is happening:
It\u2019s a good day to have your head up in the clouds, because there will be enough of them for us to share.
We have half a chance of rain today, and things will stay overcast and breezy in the meantime. But it\u2019ll rise to 50. And this being January, we\u2019ll take it.
Tuck an umbrella in your tote to be safe.
\u2022 \u201cSanctuary City\u201d mayors \u2014 from New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, New Haven, Syracuse and Austin, Tex. \u2014 vow to defy Trump\u2019s immigration order. [ New York Times ]
\u2022 Remembering Mary Tyler Moore, the adored, \u201cincomparably spunky\u201d actress born in Brooklyn Heights and raised in Brooklyn and Queens. [ New York Times ]
\u2022 Builders in New York are now designing and creating more resilient structures , taking initiative against the effects of extreme weather. [ New York Times ]
\u2022 In case you missed it, here\u2019s what you need to know about the Metropolitan Transportation Authority\u2019s vote to raise fares and tolls. [ New York Times ]
\u2022 The Bronx has no general-interest bookstore. One resident has begun a crowdfunding campaign to bring one to the borough. [ Gothamist ]
\u2022 Trenicia Childs turns her Bronx apartment into a makeshift classroom for her four-year-old daughter as the family pushes past financial struggles. [ New York Times ]
\u2022 Today\u2019s Metropolitan Diary: \u201c Take a Pigeon for a Walk \u201d
\u2022 Scoreboard: Heat burns Nets , 109-106. Mavericks kick Knicks , 103-95. Flyers land atop Rangers, 2-0.
\u2022 For a global look at what\u2019s happening, see Your Thursday Briefing .
\u2022 The New York Boat Show continues at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in Manhattan. Noon to 9 p.m. [$16, tickets here ]
\u2022 The author of \u201cMy Son Wears Heels,\u201d a book about \u201cone mom\u2019s journey from clueless to raising a gender-creative child,\u201d discusses her work at the Central Queens Y in Forest Hills, Queens. 7 p.m. [$5 donation recommended]
\u2022 The New York Philharmonic\u2019s Tchaikovsky Festival continues at David Geffen Hall at Lincoln Center. 7:30 p.m. [ Tickets start at $44]
\u2022 Join a spelling bee and comedy show , with proceeds to go to Planned Parenthood, at Union Pool in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. 8 p.m. [$10 suggested donation]
\u2022 Looking ahead: Bryant Park\u2019s nine-day Winter Carnival \u2014 where you can see a giant ice castle , watch professional ice skating (and take lessons), and more \u2014 begins on Friday.
\u2022 For more events, see The New York Times\u2019s Arts & Entertainment guide .
\u2022 Subway and PATH
\u2022 Railroads : L. I. R. , Metro-North , N. J. Transit , Amtrak
\u2022 Roads : Check traffic map or radio report on the 1s or the 8s.
\u2022 Alternate-side parking : in effect until Saturday.
\u2022 Ferries : Staten Island Ferry , New York Waterway , East River Ferry
\u2022 Airports : La Guardia , J. F. K. , Newark
The Lunar New Year is laden with traditions and superstitions.
A few you should know about:
Exchanging red envelopes. It\u2019s customary for the older generations of a family to offer envelopes of money to the younger generations, a symbol of giving and sharing, Ms. Liao said.
Writing couplets. Couplets are like a two-line poem, typically two sentences with the same number of characters on each line and written on two pieces of red paper, Ms. Liao said. People often leave the couplets in front of their doors for good luck and protection.
Wearing red. The color red is a symbol of protection, Ms. Liao said. This year, people with the rooster zodiac are encouraged to wear more red for extra protection.
Playing word games. The Chinese character for roosters (\u9e21, j\u012b) is, phonetically, the same as the word for auspicious (\u5409, j\u00ed) and opportunity (\u673a\u4f1a\uff0cj\u012b hu\u00ec). So the Year of the Rooster has a unique connotation with auspiciousness, positivity and good fortune.
New York Today is a weekday roundup that stays live from 6 a.m. till late morning. You can receive it via email.
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