Downtown Celebrates The Lunar New Year

by | Feb 26, 2018 | Culture, Downtown News, Featured

It’s the year of the Dog!

No, this does not mean that we have a four-legged friend as a new political leader. This past weekend on February 25, 2018, the Better Chinatown USA foundation hosted their 19th Annual Lunar New Year Parade and Festival. Downtown was in attendance front and center, once the rain cleared it was time for the parade to begin on the streets of Chinatown New York City.

The parade featured many organizations like Chinese Qipao Society, Asian and Pacific Islander LGBT, Boy Scouts of America, Girl Scouts of USA, and OCA Asian Pacific American Chapter of New York. They passed through the parade route with beautiful costumes of boasting colors, carrying banners, playing music, putting on performances, and handing out red envelopes for good luck – as per Chinese tradition. Chinatown was alive and colorful as many lined the streets to watch.

The traditional Chinese calendar is based on the cycle of the moon, rather than the more widely used solar-based Gregorian calendar. This year, the Lunar calendar falls on the Year of the Dog. Chinese tradition says those born in the Year of the Dog are loyal, friendly, and compassionate – similar to those of mans best friend. Do you fall under the year of the Dog (1970, 1982, 1994, 2006, 2018)? Although it’s written that the year of the Dog is not all that lucky, we’ve decided to leave it up to the individuals to say.

We wish this year to be fresh and new, with new beginnings, prosperity and good health to all who fall under this lucky pup sign. Happy new year!

Photos by Stephanie Brooks

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