From Belize City to Taipei, celebrations kicked off today to celebrate the Chinese New Year. The Year of the Dog is officially here, and celebrations are set to continue through the weekend with the weeklong Spring Festival, known as...
President of the Belize Chinese Community, Edmund Kwan told us what you can expect to see this weekend:..
Edmund Kwan, Chairman of the Chinese Association
"Every year we do a city-wide parade, we perform the lion dances. We bust the dynamite, and on Sunday we will have the New Year's Banquet where we host 750 guests."
"The lion dance is a ritual. It is to cast away evil spirits. The lion comes once a year. That is why they always have the red packet and lettuce. They feed the lion the red packet and the lettuce. The lion will take all the bad stuff until next year."
Sahar Vasquez, reporter
"And with the dynamite, does that have significance as well?"
Edmund Kwan
"Yes, definitely it will not be a lion dance without the dynamite. The dynamite actually scares away the evil spirits and spells."
"This year is the year of the dog. The dog symbolizes honesty, loyalty, and things like that."
The dog is one of 12 animals associated with the Chinese New Year and it signifies loyalty.
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