The Dragon's Head Blog: Vancouver Chinese New Year Celebration and Parade
The Vancouver branch celebrated the arrival of the Year of the Monkey with food and games as well as by joining the local Chinese and other communities in the annual Chinatown Spring Festival Parade.
On Saturday February 13th about 60 participants and friends gathered for a six-course vegetarian jai meal, prepared in our own kitchen by dozens of volunteers. We cooked enough extra food to take to First United Church in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside, to help feed the homeless and needy in the city’s poorest neighbourhood.
Donations for the jai were gratefully accepted to help support ongoing renovations at our new International Center Florida.
After the meal and a visit to the potluck dessert table, we were treated to skits that required – what else – stepping back to repulse monkey. We also participated in games of skill on the Monkey Midway.
The next day, 23 smiling participants wearing bright Awareness Day t-shirts gathered in Chinatown to take part in the annual lunar New Year parade. Although our feet got wet, our spirits were never dampened as we brushed knees, dan-yued and waved hands to the crowd of hardy and happy onlookers.