Lunar New Year celebrations held in Chicago, suburbs
Celebrations were held in Chicago and the suburbs this weekend as the Year of the Horse begins.
The Chinese Lunar New Year was Tuesday, Feb. 17. Following is a 15-day festival that concludes with the Lantern Festival on March 3.
On Sunday afternoon, Cook County Commissioner Josina Morita (D-13th) held a Lunar New Year celebration for neighbors in north suburban Morton Grove. The event in Grove One at the St. Paul Woods featured lion dancers, music, and lucky red envelopes for members of the community.
On Saturday, the Argyle Lunar New Year Parade trotted through the Uptown neighborhood.
This annual tradition features a colorful celebration along Uptown's Argyle Street business district. Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson joined dozens of community groups, dancers, and other performers to celebrate the holiday.
In Chicago's Chinatown, a Lunar New Year Parade will be held Sunday, March 1, along Wentworth Avenue.
This year is the year of the Fire Horse. The Chinese zodiac cycles between 12 animals — the rat, the ox, the tiger, the rabbit, the dragon, the snake, the horse, the goat, the monkey, the rooster, the dog, and the pig. One of five elements — metal, water, wood, fire, or earth — is also assigned to each year.
While it has only been 12 years since the last Year of the Horse, it has been 60 since the most recent Year of the Fire Horse, which was 1966.
As explained by the Chinese Language Institute, the horse is the seventh animal in the overall cycle, and symbolizes "freedom, passion, and boundless energy."
