From Welcome to Chinatown NYC

Chinese New Year

Of all the Chinese holidays, Chinese New Year is the biggest and the most popular among both Chinese and non-Chinese New Yorkers. Also known as the Spring Festival, this event begins on the first day of the first month on the ancient lunar calendar. The festival is openly celebrated on the streets of Chinatown every year in the form of extravagant parades.

This year, the festival began on Sunday, February 14, 2010, marking the beginning of the Year of the Tiger. The festival was welcomed by an opening ceremony in Roosevelt Park, where firecrackers were set off with the symbolic purpose of warding off evil spirits. This was followed by stage performances by the local Chinese opera group and various costumed dance troupes.

Other performers, dressed in ornate lion, dragon, and unicorn costumes, marched through Mott, Bowery, East Broadway, Bayard, Elizabeth, and Pell streets, dancing to the rhythm set by the drummers following behind them.

The festivities continued throughout the week, eventually culminating on the following Sunday, February 21, in the form of a final float parade. The lion and dragon dancers were followed by acrobats, martial arts performers, singers, and magicians, many of whom were riding elaborate floats. Spectators from above and below contributed to the festive air by shooting streamers and throwing confetti. The neighborhood was abuzz with noise and celebration.

Chinatown isn’t the only neighborhood to celebrate Lunar New Year in style; Flushing has its own Lunar New Year Parade, held annually from Union St. and 37th Ave to the Flushing Mall on 39th and Prince. The parade is similar to the one in Chinatown; costumed dancers, drummers, fireworks, and singers make up the majority of the celebration. Only once the parade arrives at the Mall, however, do the festivities truly begin. A performance by Chinese children choir, calligraphy demos, and setting off more fireworks are just some of the events held throughout the day, not to mention the festival’s highlight: an authentic Chinese Food Court in the Mall. A variety of foods, from Chinese cuisine staples to festive, Lunar New Year-specific foods are available.

Dragon Boat Festival

The Dragon Boat, or Duanwu, Festival is a traditional Chinese holiday. According to folklore, the festival dates back to 278 BCE when fisherman of the Miluo River raced out on boats to save the poet, Qu Yuan, who had drowned himself upon hearing that the city of Chu had been conquered.

Since then, it has become a tradition among Chinese communities all over the world to eat rice dumplings and to race boats on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month. In modern times, the festival has become an institutionalized competition and cultural event.

The Hong Kong Dragon Boat Festival has been held annually (rain or shine) in Flushing Meadows - Corona Park in Flushing, Queens since 1990. It is one of the largest dragon boat festivals in the United States with over 120 participating dragon boat teams. In addition to the main attraction, the festival offers an opening parade, various charity races, food & craft booths, and a wide variety of arts and entertainment. The upcoming 2010 event will mark the 20th anniversary of the Hong Kong Dragon Boat Festival. More information about the event can be found here.

This footage from the 2009 event offers a taste of the festivities:

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