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Lion dancers celebrate Lunar New Year in Chinatown

A lion dancer with Wah Lum carries his costume after taking part in a Lunar New Year celebration in Chinatown.Jessica Rinaldi/Globe Staff

The annual Lion Dance Parade saluting the Lunar New Year was celebrated in Chinatown Sunday with dancers in colorful dragon costumes winding through the streets accompanied by cymbalists and drummers.

The dragons, each operated by two dancers, visited businesses and restaurants, where they were “fed” oranges and lettuce heads to help bring good fortune in the coming year.

The Lunar New Year is based on the Chinese lunisolar calendar, and 2023 is the Year of the Rabbit.

Lion dancers perform during a Lunar New Year celebration in Chinatown.Jessica Rinaldi/Globe Staff

Boston Mayor Michelle Wu and Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox were among those enjoying the festivities.

Members of the Boston Chinese Freemasons perform a lion dance during a Lunar New Year celebration in Chinatown. Jessica Rinaldi/Globe Staff

Wu reflected during the celebration on the challenges the neighborhood has faced during the coronavirus pandemic when many restaurants and other businesses lost customers.

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“We have had a couple of very rocky years for Chinatown, just as the pandemic was starting, even before the virus was in the United States,” she said, according to video broadcast by WCVB-TV.

Heang Ly with Gund Kwok leads lion dancers to their next location during a Lunar New Year celebration in Chinatown. Jessica Rinaldi/Globe Staff

Cox said the police department is being cautious in the wake of a California mass shooting connected to Lunar New Year celebrations while trying to ensure that residents can safely observe traditional seasonal festivities.

“We have so many people that are embedded within the city, and we listen to them,” Cox said in the video on WCVB-TV. “These cultural events are wonderful. That’s what makes Boston so great. And we’ve been doing this a long time.”

Wah Lum lion dancers perform during a Lunar New Year celebration in Chinatown. Jessica Rinaldi/Globe Staff
One year-old Avery Chou of Brookline holds hands with her friend, Jackson Florentino, 3, of Charlestown during a Lunar New Year celebration in Chinatown. Jessica Rinaldi/Globe Staff
Children wear lion costumes during a Lunar New Year celebration in Chinatown. Jessica Rinaldi/Globe Staff

Globe correspondent Jeremy C. Fox contributed to this report.



Haley Hersey can be reached at haley.hersey@globe.com.