While not quite as awe-inspiring as Tuesday night's fireworks over the Hudson, today's Chinatown Firecracker Ceremony kept the Lunar New Year festivities popping. Around noon, a big, exuberant crowd gathered in Sara D. Roosevelt park on the Lower East Side to ring in year 4713 with firecrackers, drumming, and plenty of lettuce.
Before the explosions, guests were treated to a percussive lion dance, during which dancers carrying lion costumes were "fed" pieces of lettuce (you'll recall that the Cantonese word for lettuce also sounds like "growing fortune," and the plant is commonly eaten during Chinese New Year celebrations). As the lions feasted, the crowd fired off confetti cannons, producing a glistening, technicolor rain. Then the firecrackers exploded, scaring away the evil spirits.
If you're disappointed you missed the party, the fun continues in a big way on Sunday at 1 p.m. with the Lunar New Year Parade through Manhattan's Chinatown.
