The Lansing State Journal reports that the Chinese calendar's Year of the Dog kicked off Sunday, and many of Greater Lansing's estimated 2,000 Chinese and Chinese-Americans celebrated with great fanfare. The article explores traditions, Asian cuisine and the growing influence of Eastern culture. According to the Census, 11,783 Asians were living in the tri-county region in 2000, a 40% increase over 1990.

The Detroit Free Press reports that as the sun sets tonight, Muslims around the world will welcome the New Year 1427. In Islam, a new year is not a universal cause for the kind of celebrations thrown in many cultures around the world.

Read Muslim new year sacred time in the Freep

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