Chinese New Year festivities in Chinatown will be coordinated under one banner next month, marking the first time in many years that the popular activities are being promoted jointly.

The actual date of Chinese New Year is Jan. 29, with the bulk of Chinatown activities slated for Jan. 20-21 and Jan. 27-28.

The Chinese Chamber of Commerce, Chinatown Merchants Association and the United Chinese Coalition previously staged separate Chinatown events. Leaders from the three groups joined Mayor Mufi Hannemann yesterday to announce the collaborative effort.

Hannemann credited a group of University of Hawai'i at Manoa students in the Executive Master's in Business Administration program led by Evan Leong for starting the process of bringing the Chinese organizations together.

Borrowing a concept from the Aloha Week Festival, Hawai'i Chinatown New Year Celebration organizers will offer a commemorative ribbon that entitles wearers to discounts at various Chinese restaurants and jewelry stores, Jan. 2 to 28. The buttons will carry a $5 suggested donation price. Proceeds will help pay for some events, renovations at the United Chinese Society headquarters, other Chinatown improvement projects and hurricane relief efforts.

According to the 12-year Chinese lunar calendar, 2006 is the Year of the Dog. Those born under that sign are described in horoscope terms as loyal, confident, dignified and admired for their good judgment of character, according to the Chinatown Hawai'i Web site. They are also direct, often pessimistic, given to bouts of worrying and fretting and can hold grudges.

For more about the coming year's Chinese New Year events or the Chinese zodiac, visit the Hawai'i Chinatown Web site at www.chinatownhi.com.

Reach Gordon Y.K. Pang at gpang@honoluluadvertiser.com.