The Chinese New Year Festival, which is the most important festival of the year in China and other Asian countries, has taken place at the Smithsonian American Art Museum in Washington, DC on Jan. 30 as annually sponsored by the Asian Community Service Center (ACSC).
About Travel reports that 2016 Chinese New Year is on Feb. 8 and is set as the Year of the Monkey. Most of the Asians, especially the Chinese wears the traditional red during this significant celebration. According to them, red can ward off the evil spirits.
The Chinese New Year Festival in Washington, DC has attracted many people, including adults and kids, over the years. The guests participate and enjoy various Chinese cultural activities such as children's crafts, traditional Chinese calligraphy, live and music performances, face painting, lion dancing, tai chi and kung fu demonstration, poetry readings, photo exhibits, film screenings, art exhibits, free giveaways, New Year souvenirs and many more.
"Oh, it's really fun," one of the participants told the CRJ English.com. "It's great to see the kids, and everybody is excited."
"Oh, I'm making a monkey. It's made of clay. Because it's the year of the monkey, and I was born in the year of the monkey, so it's exciting, "another participant said.
Some of them attend the festival every year just like Frank Rosenblatt. "We are very interested in Chinese culture, so it's very important every year I take my children to the Chinese New Year celebration," he said.
Richard Kurin, the Under Secretary for History, Arts & Culture at the Smithsonian Institutes stated that the aim of celebrating the festival is to show respect for Chinese culture and the people.
"In terms of people both in China and the U.S., they have respect for each other of who they are what their tradition goes back. I think it's important that people show respect to who people are, through their arts, through their culture, through their forms of expression," Kurin explained.
There are many events that will be held in celebration of the 2016 Chinese New Year in Washington, DC, Northern Virginia and Maryland for two weeks.
