It's officially the Year of the Dog.

Chinese New Year, or Lunar New Year as it's called in some other Asian countries, officially begins today. The first day of the New Year celebration falls on the new moon between Jan. 21 and Feb. 20, and ends 15 day later with the Lantern Festival.

To mark the newly begun Year of the Dog, tweeters the world over are sharing dog-related celebration photos.

BULLHEAD CITY — Three humans and four stuffed pandas entered Carrie Rueden’s second-grade classroom at Mohave Accelerated Elementary School Thursday afternoon.

They did not leave together — the stuffed animals were given to students who correctly answered questions about Chinese New Year.

The guests were employees at area Panda Express franchises, who came to talk to the students about the holiday and its significance in Chinese culture.

Imagine you're living in another country when Christmas comes around. For many of us, the thought of ignoring the holiday is, well, unthinkable. 

That's what it would be like for a native of China to ignore Chinese New Year, Qian Williams said. She's a member of Fort Wayne Chinese Families and Friends Association, the nonprofit that orchestrated Sunday's Chinese New Year celebration at IPFW.

"It's the most significant holiday of the year," Williams added.

Yauatcha, arguably one of the most sought-after dinner reservations in town, is all dressed up in red this week - and it has nothing to do with Valentine's Day.

The Galleria's dim sum teahouse serves up "holiday best" for Chinese New Year.

The ornate pop-up installations of Jamie Julien Brown, the London-based artist charged with reimagining the traditional Chinese paper lantern to match Yauatcha's contemporary aesthetic, will adorn the jewel-box space through the first week of March.

A look at past Chinese New Year celebrations in Cleveland (vintage photos)

CLEVELAND, Ohio - Early January through mid-February generally involves a dazzling festival within Cleveland's Chinese community, compete with dancers in traditional costumes.

This time of year is when the Chinese celebrate their lunar new year, an occasion used to celebrate mythical deities and Chinese culture.

Food and beverage events

Chinese New Year at the Peterboro: Celebrate the Year of the Dog with special food and cocktail menu at Peterboro Chinese restaurant. 5 p.m. Thurs.-Sun. 420 Peterboro, Detroit. (313) 833-1111.

Dearborn Restaurant Week: More than 35 participating restaurants will offer fixed-price, three course meals for $10, $20 or $30 for lunch or dinner. Through Sunday. Downtown Dearborn. DearbornRestaurantWeek.com.

It is the Year of the Dog, and in celebration about 500 children and their guardians celebrated the Chinese New Year in traditional style at The Woodlands Children's Museum on Saturday, Feb. 10. Activities included calligraphy writing, paper lantern making, chopstick races and more. The Houston Lion Kings dance troupe gave a lion dance performance and a children's choir sponsored by The Woodlands Chinese Cultural Center sang, as well.

February may be short on days, but it is long on celebrations: the Chinese New Year, Mardi Gras, Valentine's Day and the Super Bowl.

The Chinese, or Lunar, New Year will be ushered in this weekend by the Chinese Language School of Connecticut with demonstrations, workshops, performances, dances and activities. It is the 16th year the Greenwich organization has marked the passing of this centuries-old tradition.

The drum beat echoes past Ping Tom Memorial Park during the Dragon Boat Races for Literacy, then bounces off the skyscrapers that hug the Chicago River. That would be in the middle of June, when the skies are blue and the air is warming up for the summer.

I hope this New Year is starting out well for you. On Jan. 27 we will start the Chinese New Year, the year of the rooster. I myself am a rooster baby. Chinese culture considers it to be both a special year when you hit your every-12th-year cycle year, and at the same time it considers it as a cautious year where you’re best off being particularly careful and watchful. Wear bright colors during your year (to ward off the spirits that want to claim you for their own during your special year), even if it’s an undergarment or socks. Fellow roosters, keep that in mind. And to our outgoing monkeys: Thank you for your presence with us and we’ll catch up with you again in 12 years.