People call for goodwill at Chinatown’s Year of the Rat Lion Dance Parade

Hundreds of children, parents, students and festivalgoers gathered around numerous Lion Dance troupes in Chinatown as the community ushered in the Year of the Rat and people brought hopes of goodwill for the year ahead.

“My hope is that we would treat each other better,” Karen Williams, 57, of Boston said. “We’re all human, we’re all on the same planet, be kind to each other.”

Williams and her son Steven stood by as dancers moved their Lion around the crowd while firecrackers and drums cracked between the streets and alleyways.

“Make myself healthier,” Steven Williams, 33, said. “I’ve struggled with weight, I’m hoping to become stronger.”

While some restaurants were closed, others stayed busy as the Lion Dancers moved to their doors and gave brief performances to crowds taking videos and photos. Festivalgoers flocked to bakeries, some which began to run low on sweet treats.

Joel Sandberg, 26, and Riley Sandberg, 28, stood among the noisy streets with both film and digital cameras.

“Take more photos,” Joel Sandberg said of his hopes for the year ahead. “I just want to take more photos.”

Jack Pompirant, 28, and Olivia Loria, 28, of Boston, also had a camera but had a different resolution for the Year of the Rat.

“Make some more friends,” Pompirant said.

Boston Mayor Martin J. Walsh and Councilor for the Chinatown district Ed Flynn took in the celebration by greeting members of the community.

“It’s great to see,” Walsh said of the Lion Dance parade. “It’s a cultural event, it’s the New Year’s celebration, there’s many events coming up over the next few weeks in Chinatown.”

from Boston Herald https://ift.tt/2ROIsZM