Happy New Year! No, DCist isn’t a little late on our greeting, today is the Lunar New Year. Popularly called Chinese New Year or Spring Festival, the lunar new year is a major holiday in many Asian countries, including Vietnam (Tet), Korea (Sol-nal) and Mongolia (Tsangaan Sar). Instead of a fixed date each year, the Lunar New Year falls on the second new moon after the winter solstice.

4703 (that would be now) is the year of the Rooster. So everyone born in ’33, ’45, ’57, ’69, ’81 and ’93 — this is your year. Apparently, rooster-themed swag is the rage in many places. DCist hasn’t seen any hitting the streets of D.C., but if someone wears a rooster costume to work today, we would be eternally grateful for photo evidence.

For those unfamiliar, the celebration focuses on turning over a new leaf and renewing bonds between family and friends. It is traditional to clean your house before New Year’s Day to banish any bad luck and start fresh, repay debts, forgive grudges and gather together with family to usher in the new year. A typical evening will include staying up most of the night with family and dining on boiled dumplings and oranges (for sweetness in the new year) until fireworks are set off at midnight. In the morning, children are presented with hong bao/lycee, red envelopes filled with money for wealth and luck in the new year. The family then goes out to greet with friends and neighbors, renewing bonds and forgiving arguments.