Preparing for the Lunar New Year in Chinatown

If you’re overwhelmed by the Canal Street hustle and bustle, enlist the Museum of Chinese in America to guide you through the maze of Chinatown. Museum educators will take groups of up to 15 people for an hour-and-a-half-long stroll through the ’hood. You’ll see holiday adornments and discover tidbits, such as why you shouldn’t sweep the floor or wear red over the New Year. Stops include the Huang Da Xian Taoist Temple, where you’ll learn about Buddhist deities; flower shops, where people acquire fresh blooms to symbolize new growth; the Church of the Transfiguration, which is the home to the largest Chinese Catholic congregation in the U.S.; and even kitschy souvenir shops selling zodiac decorations and lion figurines to protect your home from unwanted spirits. Reservations required.