As Lunar New Year approaches, the Brooklyn Chinese-American Association announced its annual celebration will be held Feb. 22.
This year marks the Year of the Horse.
The celebration will begin at 11 a.m. on a grandstand set up on Eighth Avenue and 52nd Street where speeches by community leaders and elected officials, performances and activities will be featured.
Festivities include a firecrackers display, traditional lion dance, a Kung-Fu demonstration, day care and public-school performances as well as other cultural activities.
At 1 p.m., the Head Lion, VIP guests, and marching teams will lead the parade along the Eighth Avenue commercial strip. The parade will conclude at 61st Street, and the Lions will dance in front of each store to bring good luck and fortune to the community at 2:30 p.m.
“Since 1988, the Annual Chinese New Year Celebration Parade has been bringing in the richness of Chinese culture to the Borough of Brooklyn as well as promoting unity among neighborhoods,” said the Brooklyn Chinese-American Association in a statement. “To honor the tradition, firecrackers will be used for the traditional ritual cleansing of homes and businesses to usher in a year of good luck. It is anticipated that a minimum of 75,000 spectators will share this unique experience. I hope you will be able to join me, along with other distinguished guests and the Asian community, to celebrate this special festivity.”
According to Chinesenewyear.net, the horse is the seventh animal in the 12-year cycle of the Chinese zodiac signs. Chinese astrology states the horse is confident, agreeable, and responsible, although they also tend to dislike being reined in by others.
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