A large stage usually features performances of traditional and contemporary Chinese singing and dancing. The holiday is celebrated with firecrackers and fireworks to ward off evil spirits. Roosevelt Park between Grand and Hester Streets The parade starts at Mott Street from Canal Street, continues onto East Broadway and curves up through Sara Roosevelt Park via Forsyth and Eldridge Streets to Broome Street.įirecracker Ceremony and Cultural Festival On the Gregorian calendar that most Western nations use, the Chinese New Year can be anywhere from late January to mid-February. Eating fish is believed to bring about an abundance of food for the whole year. Noodles are eaten during the festival to bring about longevity.įish is vital to the festival’s cuisine as fish in mandarin Chinese is “yu”, which can also mean plentiful or abundant. The hope is that it will raise the level of prosperity and success, both in one’s career and livelihood. Sticky rice or nian gao is a traditional staple during this holiday because the shape of the grains resembles pieces of gold. Dumplings are vital to the New Year feast their significance lays in their shape, which is similar to the shape of a Chinese golden nugget. The second purpose of the festival is to send a signal to the farmers that spring is arriving.įood plays an important role in Chinese New Year. Elders gave out money to children in red envelopes as a means to bring good life and longevity. Firecrackers were set off to ward off evil spirits. These rituals include a detailed cleaning of one’s home – as a means to rid yourself of the bad qi or bad energy that had accumulated throughout the year – and ritual sacrifices of paper goods and foods. First, it is a religious and social guide to enforce the power of the Shang Dynasty by appeasing one’s ancestors through participating in time-honored rituals. The celebration of Chinese New Year serves a dual societal purpose. Its origin can be traced to the Shang Dynasty (1600 BC -1046 BC). The Chinese New Year, or Spring Festival, is the biggest Chinese festival both socially and economically. Chinese New Year Dragons are believed to ward off evils spirits. Here are brief descriptions of four of China’s major festivals, and how they are celebrated here, in Manhattan’s Chinatown.ġ. These festivals are observed by Chinese communities all over the world, including the Chinese American community here in New York City. The richness and grandeur of China’s history and culture are on full display in the festivals and holidays that Chinese people celebrate throughout the year.
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