Chinatown’s Upcoming Lunar New Year Celebrations

by | Feb 1, 2016 | Culture, News

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Photo: Courtesy of Flickr.com

February 8th, 2016 marks the beginning of the Lunar New Year and the year of the monkey. This celebration is a deeply rooted tradition in Chinese culture that dates back thousands of years. The Lunar New Year is traditionally celebrated over the course of fifteen days, each of which involve getting together with family and friends. Customarily, the third day is designated to paying homage to deceased relatives.
Better Chinatown USA, a volunteer-based organization committed to the progression of Chinatown, will be hosting the New Year Firecracker Ceremony & Cultural Festival at Sara D. Roosevelt Park on Monday, February 8th at 11 a.m. The festival is free to attend and will have several booths set up, selling food and crafts. It will also showcase traditional lion dancers and other cultural performances, along with a barrage of firecrackers. It is believed that the noise emitted from the firecrackers will scare away any lingering evil spirits.
The celebrating does not end with the conclusion of the firecracker ceremony. Later in the week, on Sunday, the Lunar New Year Parade will grace the streets of Chinatown with elaborate floats and performances. The parade is scheduled to kick off at 1 p.m. and end around 3:30 p.m. A festival will be in full swing before, during and after the parade at Sara D. Roosevelt Park.
The executive director of Better Chinatown USA, Steven Tin, anticipates large crowds for both the festival and the parade.

“We’re expecting around 40,000 throughout the day for the ceremony and festival on the 8th,” says Tin. “We should see around ten times that number at the parade on Sunday. People should arrive early for a good position.”
For the first time in the city’s history, public schools will be mandatorily closed on the day of the Lunar New Year. With nearly 523,000 Chinese Americans residing in the city, this decision will allow families who celebrate the holiday to spend more time together.

-by James Baginski 

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