Chinatown kicks off 'Year of the Snake' during Chinese New Year event
On Saturday, Chicago’s Chinatown kicked off its Chinese New Year festivities with plenty of color, creativity and cheer.
Local community organizations, politicians and residents gathered at West Cermak Road and South Wentworth Avenue to offer well wishes, watch traditional dragon and lion dances, and pass around envelopes of cash. The area was adorned with red lanterns and inflatable animals, including a panda and lime green snake.
Based on the lunar calendar, the Chinese New Year ushers in spring each year.
In 2025, the holiday, also known as Lunar New Year, falls on Jan. 29 and signifies the year of the snake, symbolizing wisdom. The occasion was marked by the "Light up Chinatown" event, which was hosted by the Midwest Asian Health Association, American Fu Jian Business Association, Asian American Culture Center, Chicago Chinatown Special Event Committee and Mid-America Restaurant Association.
On Feb. 9, the Chicago Chinatown Community Foundation will host the annual Lunar New Year parade in the neighborhood.
The event organizers at Saturday's event shared a message of hope and prosperity for the year ahead.
“We want to promote Chinese culture, the diversity of Chicago and Chinatown,” said Hong Liu, executive director of the Midwest Asian Health Association. “I just want everyone to be happy and healthy.”
The passion for community was palpable as representatives addressed the crowd near the site of a new visitor center that will open in the coming weeks.
“Chinatown is a tourist attraction, and we get so many people that come to enjoy the culture and the food,” said Ald. Nicole Lee (11th). “I love that people want to come to the neighborhood and celebrate with us.”
Steven Warren, 36, and Nicole Claudio, 29, stopped by to watch the event. They moved to Chinatown from Nashville last year. They not only praised the Chinese New Year festivities, but the sense of community in the area.
“We were interested in a neighborhood that felt like it had an identity and had a lot of local businesses to support," Claudio said.
They also said they were impressed by the neighborhood's tradition of decorating new businesses with flowers to bring luck.
"It feels very communal," Warren said.
Other residents and visitors stopped by to take in the event, with many snapping photos in front of the inflatable animals.
Reflecting on her personal Chinese New Year memories, Hong Liu thought of her mother.
"[She] would always make us new clothes," she said. "She decorated us and decorated the home beautifully."
Other cultural traditions include cleaning the house, Lee said.
"I've got to get all my laundry done," she said, laughing. "You get your house in order. There's certain foods that you eat. You have fish for abundance and noodles for longevity. You make dumplings because they look like gold. It really is about health and prosperity and all that you can do to bring that in."
Things to avoid include cutting your hair or using a broom, lest you slash or sweep away your luck, she added.
The "Light up Chinatown" event ended with the organizers and guests opening confetti cannons as they clutched a decorative banner and stuffed snakes.
Also known for its survival skills, the reptile was a fitting symbol for the year ahead, which Lee acknowledged as worrisome for immigrant communities currently facing threats of mass deportation.
"We've got a new administration in D.C. that obviously has had ripple effects for everybody across the country and here in Chicago," she said. "I think it's incumbent upon all of us to work together to do whatever we can to protect the citizens of Chicago, especially in each of our communities. Chinatown is no different. We have immigrants here as well. Regardless of their status, I think there is a lot of fear and trepidation, and more than anything, I think we have to try to help people be calm, but also be vigilant."