The Lunar New Year, also known as the Spring Festival, is celebrated over the course of 15 days and is the most important celebration in Chinese culture. For the festivities — which take place from Feb. 10 to Feb. 25 — New York City’s Chinese community illuminated the streets of the city with firecrackers, red clothing and the warm glow of lanterns in light of the festivities.
The Chinese zodiac rotates through a 12-year cycle, with each year represented by a different animal. 2024 is the Year of the Dragon, also known as Loong, which symbolizes good luck, strength, nobility and vitality.
To usher in this auspicious year, Midnight Madness — an event focusing on lion dances — kicked off celebrations on Feb. 9 at 11:30 p.m. as two lion dance troupes paraded down Canal Street well past midnight and into the first day of the Lunar New Year.
On the evening of the first day, Feb. 10, the 26th New Year Firecracker Ceremony and Cultural Festival was held at Sara D. Roosevelt Park, garnering thousands of people for Better Chinatown Society’s annual events. The Chinese New Year traditions include a firecracker lighting ceremony, sharing red envelopes and eating traditional festive foods.
Among the most anticipated traditions of the Lunar New Year are the captivating lion dances. Performed to the rhythmic beating of drums, cymbals or gongs, dancers bring to life handcrafted lion costumes to ward off evil spirits like Nian, a beast in Chinese mythology.
Traditionally, lion dancers perform daring stunts like leaping across raised posts. At the celebration in Roosevelt Park, a lion dancer climbed up a red pole before standing atop the post and presenting a scroll to the audience.
The Lunar New Year festivities continued a week later as Bryant Park held celebrations on Feb. 17. Hosted by the New York City Chinese Cultural Center, the event featured more lion dances, along with martial arts performances and traditional Chinese dances.
Beyond the performances, attendees at Bryant Park were able to make crafts such as dragon puppets, listen to Chinese music, gather around the Overlook space and add their New Year aspirations to a wishing wall by writing their wish on a red tag before tying it to a thread hanging from the windows.
David, a traditional martial arts teacher at the event, said he appreciates the intention of getting together with others to celebrate the new year while honoring ancestors.
“I have a huge respect for the system that I practice,” David said. “To be able to share that with other people and have them experience it, and then grow as students — that’s the most interesting part to me.”
Following the martial arts demonstration, Chinese dancers took the stage, sharing with the community how to combine grace and beauty with power and strength through their style of movement.
Rachel, an attendee who came to the event with her family, said the ribbon dancing was one of her favorite aspects of the celebration, adding that she has enjoyed the annual performance ever since she was a child. As residents of the Upper West Side, she added that her family members are “big fans” of the Lunar New Year, especially the Year of the Dragon, and appreciate the city’s diversity.
“One of the best things about being in New York City is that we get to experience so many diverse celebrations,” Rachel said.
For many, the Lunar New Year celebrations around New York City were an opportunity to participate in and share their culture. Emma, an attendee from China who chose to volunteer at the event, reflected on the importance of celebrating the Chinese festival in New York City.
“In New York, people are more and less aware of Lunar New Year in New York and it’s nice to see the celebrations in Chinatown and here in Bryant Park too,” Emma said. “It’s nice to feel like home.”
The Lantern Festival marks the end of Lunar New Year celebrations, as they always take place on a full moon. It is tradition to eat Tangyuan — sweet rice balls served with broth or syrup — and for children to carry red lanterns around their neighborhoods to mark the end of the celebration.
In New York City, the Lunar New Year Parade & Festival takes place on Feb. 25 starting at 1 p.m. The parade route will go through Chinatown as the community will come together to cap off festivities and mark the beginning of the Year of the Dragon.
Contact Lianna O’Grady at [email protected].