How to Ring in the Year of the Rat? With Dancing Lions and Fabulous Feasts

By Matthew Kronsberg 

Rat Pack

Where better to celebrate the Year of the Rat than with close relatives, at the Kingdom of the Mouse? Disney's parks world-wide celebrate the holiday with decorations, characters dressed in traditional finery and special foods. At Disney California Adventure Park, Mulan's Lunar New Year Procession will be a daily centerpiece. Holiday-inspired grub ranges from traditional lo mein noodles (symbolizing long life) to bespoke creations like purple sweet-potato macarons shaped like mouse ears. disneyparks.disney.go.com

Lions in Chicago

Peninsula Hotels, based in Shanghai, will pull out the stops in their Chicago location, starting with turndown service on Jan. 24 -- New Year's Eve. Guests will find traditional red envelopes placed on their pillows, containing a large chocolate coin to portend a healthy, prosperous (and sweet) New Year. On the holiday proper, the hotel will welcome a traditional dance troupe whose performers don lion costumes. The hotel's Shanghai Terrace restaurant will offer a special $168 menu until Jan. 31 that includes Peking duck and hot and sour soup with truffles. peninsula.com

Opportunistic Scallops

America's largest Chinese New Year's parade will be held in San Francisco on Feb. 8 ( chineseparade.com). Hakkasan restaurant is perfectly positioned for a post-parade dinner, with a $98 per person prix fixe three-course menu that starts on Jan. 25. Highlights include abalone and wild-mushroom dumplings decorated with gold leaf, and Maine king scallops, whose coin-like shape symbolizes success and opportunity. hakkasan.com

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(END) Dow Jones Newswires

January 08, 2020 15:31 ET (20:31 GMT)

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