Most Americans consider the new year to start on January 1, but many Asians and Asian-Americans don’t. Instead, they follow Lunar New Year, also referred to as Chinese New Year in the U.S., which begins on February 10, 2024 next year (that’s the Year of the Dragon in the Chinese zodiac, BTW). Also called Spring Festival in most of mainland China, Lunar New Year starts on the night of the first new moon of the lunisolar calendar, which is a bit shorter than the 365-day solar year. The 16-day festival season is celebrated with lots of traditional Chinese New Year foods that are prepared, served and eaten in symbolic ways.