UPDATE: OKEMOS - The 2012 Chinese New Year is January 23rd!

ORIGINAL STORY: OKEMOS - Not everyone brings in the new year at midnight on January first. In fact, there is no set day for the Chinese New Year and this year it fell on January 23rd.

Also known as the Lunar New Year, the Chinese New Year is a celebration that lasts all of 15 days. Each year, the Lunar Year is dedicated to a specific animal including the horse, monkey, and rat. 2012 honors the dragon, following the rat in 2011. For the first time, the Meridian Senior Center hosted a Chinese New Year celebration offering a traditional Chinese menu, entertainment, and legendary Chinese stories.

Meridian Senior Center Coordinator Cherie Widsom tells HOMTV, "Okemos is a diverse community and we need to be diverse in how we celebrate our holidays. You know we have the traditional American holidays; Christmas and Easter, and our New Year, that they also take part in celebrating."

Wisdom goes on to say that the Meridian Senior Center is hoping to continue celebrating the Chinese New Year and maybe even expand the tradition throughout Meridian Township.