Lunar New Year celebrations began around the world today to mark the beginning of the Year of the Snake. Hundreds of millions of Chinese are celebrating with family in mainland China and around the world, including one astronaut in outer space.
The Lunar New Year holiday is the most celebrated in China as the nation of 1.3 billion comes to a standstill with many congregating with relatives. Festivities include traditional Chinese folk dancing, a bombardment of fireworks, and ceremonial parades. This Lunar year, the Year of the Snake, represents wisdom and the acquisition of wealth as snakes are considered to be shrewd and skilled at getting what they want.
In Beijing, the traditional blast of fireworks began Saturday night into Sunday morning. The fireworks are a symbol of renewal and an effort to scare off evil spirits. This year's fireworks were scaled down to reduce pollution in the densely populated capital, reported the Toronto Star.
In the United States, President Obama and First Lady Michelle sent their blessings to the Chinese community on Friday. In a statement, the President said,"To everyone celebrating the Lunar New Year, I wish you peace, prosperity and good health and fortune."
Maybe not as big as in China, Lunar New Year festivities are taking place in the U.S. from coast to coast. In New York, the Firecracker Ceremony & Cultural Festival began at 11 a.m. today. The celebration features a dozen lion,unicorn and dragon dances in Chinatown. A parade celebrating the new year will be held next week.
In San Francisco, which houses the largest Chinese community outside the mainland, the annual Lunar New Year parade will be held on February 23. Over a hundred floats are expected and the celebration will simultaneously be held with the New Year Flower Fair and the Chinatown Community Street Fair.
In Los Angeles as many as 125,000 people are expected for its 15-day Lunar New Year Festival which began yesterday morning. Other planned festivities include the Great Chinatown Hunt, the Firecracker 10K, and Disneyland's Lunar New Year.
Major celebrations are planned in Chicago, Seattle, and Houston as well.
In addition, the NBA began an eight-day celebration on Friday to mark the holiday. The professional basketball league will air 23 live games in China, the largest NBA fan base outside the U.S..
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