Year of the Dog

celiclu
Feb 26, 2018
2 min read

Each year the Lunar New Year Parade takes place in Chinatown, New York to celebrate the Chinese New Year. I always miss it. Not this year. I recently signed up for an astronomy class, and in one class we focused on time and calendars.

The Chinese calendar sees life as a cycle of 60 years that repeat and not as an infinite sequence of years. It actually consists of two components. One are the five celestial stems like earth, wind, fire, water, and metal. The other component are what we learned to know as the twelve branches of the Chinese zodiac. The calendar dates back from 2637 BC, and this year we celebrated year of the dog!

This February I decided to indulge my taste buds in Chinese flavors and appreciate the vibrant culture it gives New York City. First stop was Flushing, Queens. Nan Xiang Xiao Long Bao is a popular Shanghainese eatery mostly known for their soup dumplings, but trust me, it all looks really good!

On the day of the parade my friend and I met up for breakfast. It wasn't the sunniest of days but we snagged a great spot to watch the procession. The sound of drums, costumes, free giveaways, waving Chinese and USA flags, gave me a sense of community and the fond feeling of NYC as home.

After the parade the streets were covered with glitter and the party didn't stop. Restaurants were full and the lines at the bakery were getting long. I stopped by Sweets Bakery for some goodies to bring home.