Malaysian ethnic Chinese people celebrated in Kuala Lumpur on Feb. 7, on the eve of the Lunar New Year. The Lunar New Year will mark the start of the Year of the Monkey on the Chinese calendar on Feb. 8.
More →
2015 Chinese New Years celebrates the Year of the Sheep. This past Sunday the Johns Hopkins University Yong Han Lion Dance Troupe paid tribute to the event at the Walters Art Museum in Mount Vernon. They donned paper maché Southern style lion heads and thrilled their audience as they juked and jumped and brought the costumes to life as they danced to warn off bad spirits. There were several dance demonstrations from the Baltimore Chinese School from the cultural dance group and the school’s ballet class.
The day in photos from around the world.
Chinese welcomed the arrival of the Year of the Horse with toned down celebrations on Thursday, as people heeded government pleas to set off fewer of the fireworks believed to bring good fortune, because of concern about air pollution.
Chinese New Year, which begins on Friday, is normally marked by riotous displays of fireworks and countless firecrackers, which are thought to bring good luck and scare off evil spirits.
Decorations for the Chinese New Year, preparing for the Olympics , one-day nightclub in London and more in today’s daily brief.
The people of China celebrate the New Year on the first day of the lunar calendar. Since it is also considered to be the first day of spring, the traditional 15-days long celebration is also called Spring Festival, where schools and shops are sometimes closed for up to a week.
According to folklore, a wild and mystical beast named “Nien,” the word for year, appears at the end of the year to feast on defenseless villagers and children. It was found that the beast could be scared away by loud noises and bright lights. Therefore the New Year tradition of lighting firecrackers, hanging of bright red “Chūnlián,” and wearing of new clothing in red or gold – the colors of good fortune and prosperity – was created.
Baltimore neighborhoods
Baltimore street photographers
Year in review
Freddie Gray: protests, aftermath
24 hours with...
A. Aubrey Bodine
Viewing Baltimore from above