China News Service, February 7th. According to the U.S. "World Journal" report, New York’s Lunar New Year’s highlight "New Year Parade" was cancelled this year due to the impact of the new crown epidemic. However, in order to retain the Chinesetown’s new year flavor and continue to expand the community’s popularity, The Prosperity Chinatown Association of New York will host the "22nd Spring Festival Fireworks and Firecrackers Culture Festival" on February 12, local time (the first day of the first month of the lunar calendar), and will broadcast live on multiple platforms, urging people to watch it at home.
Tian Shirui, director of the Prosperity Chinatown Association, said that this year’s theme is "Bullish to welcome the Chinese New Year, and the lions and fireworks congratulate Ankang". He hopes to wash away the epidemic in the Year of the Ox and continue to promote Chinese culture to the mainstream society and the second and third generations of Chinese. Maintain the popularity of Chinatown, attract more tourists to visit and spend after the epidemic, and enhance the positive energy of Chinese communities.
The event received support from many sources. Brooklyn Mayor Adams representative Zheng Qirong said that the celebration of the Lunar New Year in New York reflects the diversity of urban culture, and insisting on celebrating in a safe way is something that all Chinese are proud of.
Candidate Liu Linjianhong for Manhattan's first constituency said that the epidemic will continue in 2021, and related celebrations around the world have decreased, and the Manhattan Chinatown community, which has been affected since January last year, has gone through a whole year. Although many restaurants and businesses have been forced to close their doors, in the face of this year’s Lunar New Year, the community is still doing its best to celebrate in various ways, declaring to the outside world that “Chinatown is still standing.”
Su Huanguang, Honorary General Counsel of the Chinatown Association of Prosperity, said that on the day of the event, thousands of fireworks, dragon and lion dances will be prepared to drive away the haze caused by the new crown virus in people’s hearts with the traditional Chinese custom of welcoming the New Year and sending off the old. Looking forward to the new year Vientiane update.
At that time, there will be calligraphy and children's singing performances.
Since the New York New Year Firecracker Cultural Festival and Parade were held in 2000, they have become one of the most distinctive Lunar New Year celebrations in Chinatown. However, many forms of on-site activities cannot be realized this year; the organizers also postponed the parade It will be held in Asian Tradition Month until June 6.
In order to comply with the epidemic prevention regulations, the organizers called on the public to watch online live broadcasts on social media platforms from 11 am to 1 pm on the 12th.
(Zhang Chen)