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It takes two people to comprise the lion, one person to be the back legs and one to be the front legs and operate the head, which has blinking eyes and an opening and closing mouth. Paddy found me in the crowd during the martial arts performances, and we both had a better view finally for the next lion dance, which was pretty fantastic. This tough little guy was my favorite: Martial arts performance at Seattle Lunar New Year celebration

Martial arts performance at Seattle Lunar New Year celebration Martial arts performance at Seattle Lunar New Year celebration Martial arts performance at Seattle Lunar New Year celebration Martial arts performance at Seattle Lunar New Year celebration Martial arts performance at Seattle Lunar New Year celebration There were people of all ages performing and it was pretty impressive. The performance was put on by a local martial arts troupe, who also put on a martial arts performance after the lion dances. Hing Hay Park Seattle Lunar New Year celebration Lion Dances at Hing Hay Park The crowd was tightly packed, but I caught a bit of the first round of lion dances as I slowly squeezed my way forward. Chinese dragon dance, Lunar New Year in Seattle Chinese dragon dance, Lunar New Year in Seattle

I was able to catch a dragon dance circling the crowd before trying to squeeze my way in for the lion dances. He told me to go ahead and he’d catch up with me. Paddy wasn’t quite finished with his soup when we heard drums and cymbals across the street, signaling that the the lion and dragon dances were starting at Hing Hay Park. Most everything on the menu was between $6-$8, and he said the soup was great. Paddy hadn’t eaten breakfast and was starving, so we ducked into busy Mike’s Noodle House which was open serving noodle soup and congee (Chinese savory breakfast rice porridge) and he ordered some soup. Crowds were gathering around the stage at Hing Hay Park on S King Street. We arrived in the International District at 10:30, and everything was just getting set up. It is usually sometime in late January to mid February. The lunar New Year is never on the same day, as it coincides with the cycle of the new moon. We read up on the Seattle Chinatown International District website that the event schedule was from 11 AM to 3 PM on Saturday February 13th. Seattle’s Chinatown and International District It is officially called the International District, as the neighborhood includes Vietnamese, Korean, Thai, Filipino, Japanese, and other international restaurants and shops. Seattle’s “Chinatown” is pretty small compared to most large cities’ Chinatowns. We never really knew much about the Lunar New Year festivities or even that there was much of a celebration in Seattle at all, but this year we read up on it and decided to check it out. This year I am a liason for a Chinese exchange student through AFS, and have been learning a bit more about Chinese culture.

The Lunar New Year is based on the Chinese lunisolar calendar, which is an astrological calendar revolving the month beginnings and endings around the cycles of the moon. Many people refer to it as Chinese New Year, but many other Asian countries besides China celebrate it. Lunar New Year in Seattle’s International District: dragon and lion dances, martial arts performances, firecrackers, and a chance to sample a lot of great food on the $3 food walkĮvery year, Seattle celebrates the Asian Lunar New Year that is widely celebrated across Asia.