Celebrating the Year of the Rabbit with cultural festivities!
Celebrate Lunar New Year and the Chinese Lantern Festival with us on Sunday, February 5th, 2023 from 3-8pm in Oakland Chinatown!
Hosted by AAPI Healers for Liberation, Cut Fruit Collective, Oakland Bloom, and Civic Design Studio, this event is designed to celebrate the diversity of the Asian diaspora and promote joy and healing in our community.
There will be family-friendly activity booths, light installations, a "night market" with traditional foods, performances, and a maker market.
AAPI Healers for Liberation is a group of therapists, acupuncturists, body workers, coaches, and other healers that has been meeting regularly since 2020. It was formed after the murder of George Floyd and during the height of Asian hate violence, inspired by the spike in need for care in our community while acknowledging that we were barely getting by ourselves. This group was created to support AAPI healers to better serve our larger community.
ACTIVITIES & PERFORMANCES
Bring your friends and family! We will have food, activities for kids and adults, performers, and local vendors.
ALL-DAY OFFERINGS
HEALING-CENTERED ACTIVITIES
LOCAL ARTIST VENDORS
LOCAL FOOD VENDORS
PERFORMANCE LINE-UP
12 - 12:30PM
SPOKEN WORD
Youth Speaks
2 - 2:30PM
DRAGON DANCE
Concord Kung Fu
11:30 AM - 12PM
LION DANCERS
Concord Kung Fu
1 - 1:30PM
MODERN DANCE
Megan Lowe Dances
SYMBOLS & SIGNIFICANCE
Lunar New Year is celebrated in many countries across the world. It starts on the first new moon of the lunar calendar and ends 15 days later on the first full moon of the lunar calendar. It is known as the Chinese Chunjie (春節), Vietnamese Tết, Korean Solnal (설날), Tibetan Losar (ལོ་གསར་), also called Spring Festival. The Lantern Festival marks the first full moon of the new lunar year and the end of the Lunar New Year.
Year of the Rabbit (2023)
In Chinese culture, the rabbit symbolizes luck. They wait for the right moment to leap into action. Perhaps we can view this year as an invitation for discernment, courage, and initiative.
Other traditional symbols:
Dragon - power, auspiciousness, strength
Lion - luck, safety
Red - happiness, fortune, energy
Fireworks - to drive away bad spirits and bad luck
Noodles - represent long life
Dumplings - signify good fortune
Bamboo Plant - the wish for strength and prosperity
Mystic Knots - used as decorations to represent happiness and eternity
Red Lanterns - joy, good fortune, and prosperity