The Lunar New Year Parade and Festival took to the streets in Chinatown once again on Sunday in celebration of the Year of the Fire Horse.
Crowds of spectators lined up to watch the 28th annual Lunar New Year Parade, which marched through the main streets of Chinatown. The parade started at Mott St and Canal St, moved to Chatham Square, East Broadway, and ended near Forsyth and Grand Streets.
The colorful celebration featured floats, bands and performers representing different communities and cultures. Festival booths were also set up along Bayard Street between Mott Street and Mulberry Street.
You can re-watch the parade here:
The event, organized by Better Chinatown USA, marks the culmination of celebrations that kicked off on February 17 with a firecracker festival commemorating the first day of the Year of the Fire Horse.
The Lunar New Year is a time-honored family holiday to welcome good fortune and a long, healthy life, and also make lots of noise to scare away a legendary sea monster that would bring the opposite of that.
The horse is the seventh of the 12 Chinese zodiac animals.
Every year, each animal is associated with one of the five elements: metal, water, wood, fire and earth, with the intersection meant to determine the qualities of someone born in that year.
This year is known as the fire horse because it coincides with the fire element, which is expected to bring “a cycle of heightened passion, boldness, energy, and courage,” according to the Asia Society.
Learn more about Lunar New Year, the Year of the Fire Horse, here.
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