NYC Lunar New Year

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The Lunar New Year begins on Thursday, but celebrations start tonight with a big fireworks show over the Hudson River. The fireworks display will begin to usher in The Year of the Goat, Sheep?

Grucci Fireworks will mark the Year with a 20 minute show is expected to begin at 7:30 p.m.

The fireworks will launch from three barges near the Chinese consulate at 42nd Street and 12th Avenue. Organizers say they expect the display to rival Macy's annual July 4th fireworks show.

This lunar new year has stirred a debate over which zodiac creature is the correct one. Traditional astrology attaches different animal signs to each lunar year in a cycle of 12 years.

The symbol for the new year starting on February 19 is the "yang", which can refer to any member of the subfamily Caprinae - Sheep, goats, and relatives subfamily depending on what additional Chinese character it is paired up with. A goat is a mountain yang, a sheep is a soft yang and a Mongolian gazelle is a yellow yang.