Lunar New Year at MFA Boston 5 to 10 p.m. Jan. 30 One event that will take place later this week is a celebration at the Museum of Fine Arts displaying Chinese, Vietnamese and Korean artwork. The museum will have a $5 minimum, pay-what-you-want general admission starting at 5 p.m. Thursday to mark the occasion.

Chinese New Year, AKA the Spring Festival, is a commemoration of the new lunar calendar, and is celebrated in many South Asian countries including Korea, Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia, Singapore, Taiwan, Malaysia and the Philippines, as well as in many diaspora communities around the globe.

Hundreds of people are set to take part in celebrations to welcome the Lunar New Year in Bristol. Events including traditional dances and food are being staged in Eastville's Chinese supermarket on Saturday and the City Museum museum on 8-9 February.

New Yorkers rang in the Lunar New Year at Chinatown's annual firecracker ceremony on Wednesday (January 29). Spectators celebrated the Year of the Snake with a celebratory lion dance and the snap, crackle and pop of firecrackers.

Spectators from across the Bay Area gathered in San Francisco Chinatown to witness the start of the 15-day Lunar New Year celebrations, which featured cultural performances, lion dances, and the tradition of dotting the lion's eyes to awaken good fortune.