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How Is Chinese New Year Celebrated In The United States? |
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Written by Bob Younce
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Monday, 28 January 2008 |
Chinese New Year is celebrated all over the world, and the United States is no different. In some countries with
large Chinese immigrant populations, or countries that have a historical connection with the Han dynasty, Chinese New Year may be celebrated in very much the same traditional way that it is celebrated in China. However, in the United States, celebrations of Chinese New Year have taken on some very American characteristics.
For example, while the parade is an integral part of the Chinese New Year celebration in the United States as well as in China, the American version of the Chinese New Year parade tends to have very American elements, such as floats, marching bands, and a beauty pagent. These sorts of activities don't typically occur as a part of the Chinese New Year celebration in China. To be certain in China, parades tend to occur not on Chinese New Year, but on the Lantern Festival, which is the culmination of the Chinese New Year festivities. In the United States, these parades typically occur on Chinese New Year, or more likely on one of the Saturdays falling near the Chinese New YEar.
Chinese New Year is celebrated in the United States a bit differently in that there tends to be less focus on the family, as there is in China, and more focus on the whole community. This is mainly because, at least until the last generation or so, many of the Chinese immigrants in the United States were single men, or had left family behind in China. |
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Last Updated ( Monday, 28 January 2008 )
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