CLEVELAND — Danny Auyeung is the head chef at Li Wah Restaurant in Cleveland, and he said it's time to say goodbye to the Year of the Rat.

“The Year of the Rat, you know, is the pandemic." And he said it's time to say hello to the Year of the Ox, which symbolizes “hard working, duty and discipline."

What You Need To Know

  • This Lunar New Year, we are ringing in the Year of the Ox

  • Lunar New Year is celebrated in many countries in Asia

  • It is the longest and most important celebration in the Chinese lunisolar calendar

Li Wah restaurant in Cleveland’s AsiaTown has been a staple in the community for around 30 years, and Auyeung said thanks to the Year of the Ox, "this year will get better.”

The Lunar New year is typically celebrated with large gatherings of friends and family, Auyeung explained.

"People like to treat their family, especially on New Year Day, so everybody gets together like a reunion of their family. It’s like a Chinese Thanksgiving," Auyeung said.

Even though people can’t celebrate with large gatherings, the chef is making sure they can still have their traditional meals.

"They order the braised pig feet, that means they have more happiness and more prosperity and are more healthy, and hopefully, they have more money symbolized.”

But if braised pig feet aren’t your thing, you can order other traditional items like braised dried oysters and vegetables, which the chef said represents making good money.

"So after your meal, you might want to try your luck at the Jack Casino,” Auyeung laughed.

Auyeung advises not going too crazy with your money during the Year of the Ox.

"It's good to invest. You want to be conservative. Don’t get too ambitious. If you just stay conservative at the end of the year, you will see the result.”

The chef hopes that this year will be much better than the last.

"The past, the worst will be over, and we will be more prosperous, and we will have a healthier body," Auyeung explained. "We will be better in the coming year."