Brooklyn welcomed the Year of the Fire Horse with a little bit of ice and snow on Sunday as the Chinese American Social Services Center hosted one of the borough’s biggest Lunar New Year Parades along 18th Avenue.
Despite an impending blizzard, the event went off without a hitch, drawing hundreds of spectators who lined the street to watch more than 60 organizations join in the celebration. At the end of the parade route, which stretched 19 blocks from 65th Street to 84th Street, families set off firecrackers and confetti poppers in a display of cultural pride and celebration.
In a post on social media, the United Chinese Association of Brooklyn thanks the social services center for organizing the “meaningful event.”
“Even with snow falling and freezing temperatures, the energy was unstoppable. so many groups still showed up with incredible energy and spirit,” the group wrote. “Braving the cold and marching on as planned, everyone truly embodied the resilience and unity of our community.”
The United Chinese Association of Brooklyn went on to cite a Chinese proverb: “A timely snow promises a good harvest.”
“Here’s to a year filled with success, happiness, and good health for all,” the post went on.
Brooklyn’s other major Lunar New Year parade in Sunset Park, hosted since 1988 by the Brooklyn Chinese-American Association, was postponed until further notice due to the storm.
