Saying farewell to the Year of the Tiger

A celebration of Chinese New Year at the Nevada State and Children’s museums in Carson City will officially bid farewell to the Year of the Tiger on Jan. 21.

The Year of the Rabbit officially begins on Jan. 22, 2023.

Since around the turn of the century, Gardnerville resident Sonia Carlson has been conducting a Chinese New Year celebration. In recent years, daughter and Douglas Tiger Ingrid Carlson has joined her.

The celebration starts at 9:30 a.m. at the Nevada State Museum with crafts and traditional Chinese dances.

The public is invited to follow the lion dancers in a precession at 11 a.m. to the Children’s Museum of Northern Nevada. There, the celebration continues with activities and events in the afternoon.

Chinese New Year is the most important and longest celebration on the Chinese calendar.

“Our Lunar New Year celebration is open to everyone as a fun way to experience Chinese culture and learn its ancient traditions meant to bring good fortune all year,” says Nevada State Museum Director Dr. Joshua Bonde.

People from China lived in Nevada as early as 1851 when Nevada was part of the Utah Territory. In 1860, the Dayton area was marked on maps as “Chinatown.” The Nevada State Museum holds extensive collections from several Chinese settlements throughout Nevada. The museum will highlight a few of these objects during the event.

Based on the Chinese Zodiac Calendar, the Lunar New Year is the most anticipated and celebrated festival in China and for those observing it worldwide. This year’s sign is the Rabbit which represents the Moon as well as softness, tenderness, and gentleness according to the Chinese Zodiac.

The event is a collaboration with the Children’s Museum of Northern Nevada.

The museum is at 600 N. Carson St. in Carson City. Regular museum admission is $10 for adults and free for members and children ages 17 and younger. This program is funded in part by a grant from Nevada Humanities, and the National Endowment for the Humanities.