San Francisco Chinese New Year Parade is the Chinese New Year Parade-the biggest one outside of Asia. Originated in the 1860s during the Gold Rush era, it is the biggest and most watched parade ever! Around Chinese New Year, Chinatown is hoppin' with 2 fairs-Chinese New Year Flower Fair and the Chinese Community Street Fair, ending with the Chinese New Year Parade. Be there or be square!
Named one of the top 10 parades, over 100 units, including floats & specialty units which feature the theme of the this year's zodiac (this particular year is the year of the rabbit, my brother's year; last year was the year of the tiger-my new nephew's year and so it goes), will participate in the (extravagant shall we say?) parade. Nowhere in the world will you see a lunar new year parade with more gorgeous floats, elaborate costumes, ferocious lions, and exploding firecrackers. Some of the parade highlights include elaborately decorated floats, school marching bands, martial arts group, stilt walkers, lion dancers, Chinese acrobatics, the newly crowned Miss Chinatown USA and the Golden Dragon.
The Golden Dragon is over 201 feet long and is always featured at the end of the parade as the grand finale and will be accompanied by over 600,000 firecrackers! The Golden Dragon was made in Foshan, a small town in China. The Foshan dragonmasters formerly made all the costumes for the Cantonese opera, and the Golden Dragon bears many operatic touches, such as the rainbow colored pompoms on its 6 foot-long head. It is festooned from nose to tail with colored lights, decorated with silver rivets on both scaly sides and trimmed in white rabbit fur. The dragon, made on a skeleton of bamboo and rattan, is in 29 segments. It takes a team of 100 men and women to carry the Golden Dragon. This is also considered an honor to be chosen for the grand finale.
Rain or shine, come watch the parade!
As for me and my fam, we usually watch it at home, but one year my mom and I were lucky to get into a building that was right over where the parade was passing us by and we saw the action up-close n' personal. We took it all in and had fun doin it to the nth degree! We had a blast! Great times Great times! If we only had a chance to do it again...
Gung Hay Fat Choy! (Happy New Year!)
May the year be prosperous (unlikely since y'know the economy) but who knows with a lil luck...
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