Lunar New Year Celebrations Begin in Chinatown

INTRO: Happy Lunar New Year! Millions are celebrating the Year of the Snake around the globe and here in New York. WFUV’s Sienna Reinders and Avery Loftis joined the festivities on Manhattan’s Lower East Side.

REINDERS: Firecrackers, parades and prayers are marking the start of the Year of the Snake around Asia and farther afield. Wednesday marks the start of the Year of the Snake, one of 12 animals in the Chinese zodiac. The pop-pop-pop of firecrackers greeted the new year outside a temple in Malaysia, followed by lion dances to the rhythmic beat of drums and cymbals. In Beijing, throngs of people in down jackets filled a park on a chilly day to ring in the new year. In Moscow, Russians cheered and took smartphone photos of a colorful procession. The snake follows the just-ended Year of the Dragon.

REINDERS: Colorful dragon puppets and confetti cannons danced through the clear skies at Roosevelt Park. in New York City’s Chinatown.

REINDERS: Public school teens and children who had the holiday off squirted electric blue silly string on brick walls and toward their parents. Assemblymember Grace Lee says she’s proud of her role in making Lunar New Year a New York Public School Holiday:

ASSEMBLYMEMBER GRACE LEE: “Asian Americans know that we matter, we belong here, and we are New Yorkers.”

REINDERS: Children of all ages twisted the bottoms of the cylindrical confetti cannons and let the glittery red blue and yellow paper fly.  Fiona Li had sprinkles of rainbow confetti in her hair. The high school junior explained how she celebrates the new year:

FIONA LI: “I would say attending events like this where I could spend time with my community.”

REINDERS: This year is the year of the snake, focusing on self-improvement. Which to Congressman Daniel Goldman means working to make the Lunar New Year a national holiday. The festivities will continue until February 4th all around the city. 

REINDERS: I’m Sienna Reinders, WFUV News.