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News & Events
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Chinatown to Celebrate Year of the Monkey Posted in the Oakland Tribune on Friday, January 16, 2004 By Laura Casey, Staff Writer Ushering in the Year of the Monkey Oakland ~ Chinatown business owners are ushering in the Year of the Monkey this week with stores stocked full of tangerine trees with red bows tied to the leaves for good luck.
Chinese Lunar New Year falls on January 22 this year, the year 4701 according to the Chinese calendar. The Oakland Chinatown Chamber of Commerce will be hosting its annual Lunar New Year Bazaar Saturday and Sunday to both mark the event and promote Chinatown businesses. The Laurel district, where the second largest concentration of Asians in Oakland live, will be holding a smaller Lunar New Year's celebration on January 31. Much like the Western celebration of the holiday season, the Chinese Lunar New Year is a time for families to gather to celebrate and wish one another a prosperous year. Married couples give unmarried adults and children red Lai-See envelopes filled with "good luck" money. Friends and family also exchange tangerines and oranges with stems still attached because the word tangerine is said to sound like the Chinese word meaning "luck," and the word orange is said to sound like "wealth." It is common for people to wear red, a color to ward off evil spirits. Jennie Ong, executive director of the Oakland Chinatown Chamber of Commerce, said she expects about 30,000 visitors to attend this weekend's Lunar New Year event. It runs from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Saturday and Sunday and features a prince and princess talent show on Saturday and a Chinese fashion show Sunday. Shoppers who spend $10 or more at any Chinatown store are encouraged to return their receipts to the chamber booth to win a prize. The bazaar will be held on 9th Street between Franklin and Webster streets. Ong said Chinatown will be packed weekdays leading up to the January 22 holiday. "Chinatown really comes alive because everybody is buying items related to the New Year so they can have their family dinner at home," she said. Traditional Chinese lions will visit Laurel district merchants on January 31, while local martial arts groups host demonstrations. Councilmember Jean Quan (Montclair-Laurel) will be passing out tea and snacks from 10:00 a.m. to noon at her district office, 4173 MacArthur Boulevard, second floor. The Oakland Tribune: Bay Area Living
Oakland Tribune: General Contact Information
401 13th Street
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Related links: - Chamber of Commerce - Chinatown StreetFest - Oakland Library - Oakland Museum - Oakland Tribune |
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