Thousands of guests attended the Second Annual Chinese New Year Celebration at Planting Fields on Saturday, Jan. 28. Sponsored by Planting Fields Foundation and the Long Island Chinese American Association (LICAA), and cohosted by the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, an estimated 2,000 celebrants were in attendance by 1 p.m.
The rooms at Coe Hall were decorated with red Chinese lanterns, since the color represents energy, happiness and luck—and to offer good fortune in the new year, children were given red lucky envelopes containing chocolate money. The mansion was also decorated with fruits and flowers traditionally associated with Chinese New Year celebrations, including oranges, which look like the sun and symbolize happiness, and orchids, which are considered symbols of nobility, friendship and refinement.
A variety of arts and crafts and interactive festival games entertained children and adults, including paper cutting, window flowers, Chinese painting, lantern making, calligraphy and dough sculptures.
At the Hay Barn, performances ranged from martial arts to fan dances to traditional zither music, singing and Chinese drumming. Of course, no celebration would be complete without a lion dance, but perhaps the sweetest start to the new year were the adorable little ones dressed up as roosters.
