New Yorkers hold Lantern Festival parade for 2nd year

NEW YORK -- The Chinese American community in the Brooklyn borough of New York City on Sunday held a Lantern Festival parade for the second year as part of the Chinese New Year celebrations.

The parade in Chinatown had hundreds of participants from many walks of life and thousands of revelers from Chinese communities and other areas.

The hours-long parade featured multiple floats, God Pageant Ceremony, dragon and lion dances, big mascots, as well as traditional Chinese art and costume performances.

In particular, the 8th Avenue in Brooklyn was filled with people setting off fireworks, firecrackers and party poppers.

Organized by the Asian American Community Empowerment, an Asian American advocacy group, the parade also had the presence of a number of elected officials or their representatives.

Chuck Schumer, US Senator of New York and the Senate minority leader, greeted Chinese Americans in Mandarin and commended their traditional values of respect for family, love of children, law-abiding, peace and hard-working.

Schumer vowed to fight for the community and to keep the neighborhood safe.

"It may be a cold day, but not here in Brooklyn, Chinese American community. It is a warm and beautiful day," added Schumer.

"It's important to celebrate our heritage and culture," said Lester Chang, a Republican, representing the 49th district in the New York State Assembly.

Chang expressed his hope that the Chinese New Year could become a holiday for all people in New York State by building on the declaration of the Chinese New Year as a public school holiday in the state in September 2023.

Chinese Consul General in New York Chen Li called on people on the spot to light up the lanterns of auspiciousness to express good wishes for a bright future of China-US relations.

The Chinatown in Lower Manhattan also celebrated the Lantern Festival on Saturday afternoon.

The Museum of Chinese in America is also scheduled to celebrate the Lantern Festival on Wednesday.

Symbolizing family reunion, the Lantern Festival falls on the 15th day of the Lunar New Year and wraps up celebrations of the Chinese New Year, also known as the Spring Festival.