HOUSTON — Chinese New Year officially begins on Jan. 25, 2020, marking their yearly celebration to ring in 2020, the Year of the Rat.
Usually a massive event in China, this year, for the most part, that party has been canceled.
Instead of being festive, for many, it’s filled with fear.
In hopes of containing coronavirus, several cities in China have been shut down.
On top of that, many Lunar New Year celebrations have been canceled.
But here in Houston, that concern is not as high.
“This is our 16th Lunar New Year Festival. We have never ever canceled any one," Mei Li with the Chinese Community Center said.
The Chinese Community Center’s Lunar New Year Festival was as crowded and as colorful as every other year. The center addressed any apprehension before anyone arrived.
“We promptly reached out to them and told them that our event is outdoor, so very limited, only bathrooms and performance stage is inside, and I think that works, so actually our turnout is pretty good," Li said.
A few wore masks, and Harris County Public Health handed out "good health" flyers. H-E-B even gave out free flu shots.
But aside from that, there was no evidence of anxiety at the event.
“The coronavirus and what’s happening between Hong Kong and China, still isn’t really affecting us here. People are happy to still celebrate Chinese New Year," said attendee Myron Foster.
Because, if you didn’t know, the Lunar New Year in Chinese Culture is huge.
“I would say it’s a combination of Thanksgiving and Christmas. Also, it’s a family day, so maybe tonight, people will gather together as a family to eat a family dinner," Li said.
And this year marks the Year of the Rat.
“The rat is smart, it takes chances, basically for people, they can work smarter, and they can get a good fortune," Li said.
It’s a time to wish each other good fortune and good health - a wish, China needs now more than ever.
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