Happy Lunar New Year: Welcome the Year of the Ox!
Happy Lunar New Year #HappyLunarNewYear
Celebrations for Lunar New Year 2021 have kicked off and it’s now officially the year of the Ox. It’s one of the globe’s biggest annual celebrations with approximately one-fifth of humanity taking part in the festivities.
Though the pandemic has closed temples and severely limited travel and family gatherings, many traditional celebrations are going ahead across Asia and beyond, though in a somewhat more subdued fashion.
Across Asia and beyond there are still light shows to ward off evil spirits, spectacular parades and floats. Chinese families gathered for the “reunion dinner” the most important of the year with traditional dishes like rice cakes and dumplings.
In Sydney Australia, large lanterns lit the city’s harbour area. Locals there say they hope the Year of the Ox will bring control of the coronavirus and closer links between people.
Meanwhile, in New York City’s China town there is noticeably less spectacle than in previous years. Empty sidewalks and shuttered storefronts underline how hard hit Chinatown communities have been across the US.