Chinese New Years Eve Activities in Los Angeles
The date of the Chinese New Year, or "Lunar New Year," changes from year to year due to a combination of solar and lunar cycles. The new year begins on the new moon, which according to the Western Calendar is in late January or February. The Lunar New Year is the first day of the lunar year, and there are 12 lunar months in a lunar year. Not only the Chinese celebrate the Lunar New Year.
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Golden Dragon Parade -- Los Angeles Chinatown
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Attending parades is a fun way to celebrate holidays. The Annual Golden Dragon Parade (lagoldendragonparade.com) in Los Angeles' Chinatown celebrates over 100 years of Chinese tradition. It is a televised event, or you can watch it along North Broadway in Chinatown. The parade has grown over the years and now includes almost two dozen floats among bands and entertainers. At a previous celebration, a dragon for the parade required 25 men just to maneuver it.
Asian American Expo -- Pomona
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Approximately 30 miles east of downtown Los Angeles area is Pomona, California, home to the largest Asian trade show. The Asian American Expo (asianamericanexpo.com) is a celebration of the Lunar New Year and has more than 800 booths in four exhibition halls, three distinct food courts and six stages featuring non-stop musical performances. Many types of dances are performed such as Native Malaysian, Flamenco and lion and dragon dances. The booths showcase services in areas such as telecommunications and medicine, and the food courts feature authentic, traditional Asian foods.
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Chinese New Year Festival -- Monterey Park
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Featuring vendors with unique specialty items, amusement rides, entertainment and food booths, the Chinese New Year Festival in Monterey Park is a big celebration. Monterey Park is part of the greater Los Angeles area, and people flock from all over southern California to participate in the event. Traditional lion and dragon dancers plus firecrackers kick off the festival on a Saturday morning. The festival lasts two days, and features two stages with performances. Midway Amusements provides a large carnival "fun zone" in which to play.
Lunar New Year Festival -- Los Angeles Chinatown
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Chinese acrobats dive through hoops and climb poles during the Chinatown Lunar New Year Festival. In addition to the acrobats, you can see Taiko drummers and Thai dancers. Children's activities, games and food are all also part of this free festival. Typically, the celebration begins with a Lion Dance Troupe. Performances include teapot juggling, extreme martial arts, contortionists, clowns, acrobatic hula hooping and balancing, and break dancing.
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References
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