February 25, 2016

 

Honolulu, HI – This year the Lunar New Year Festival in Honolulu was held on January 30, 2016. Over 70 different organizations participated in this annual celebration. EAH Housing, a member of the Chinatown Business and Community Association, was thrilled to participate in the Chinese New Year parade as an annual participant.

About 30 residents from Kukui Gardens, Kukui Tower, Chinatown Manor and Kalani Gardens joined the festive two-mile march alongside EAH employees and family members. 2016, the Year of the Monkey, will be a propitious year for EAH Housing, who was fortunate to be in front of two dragons and almost a dozen lions of the Asian Lion Dance Team during the parade.

Each year the City and County of Honolulu hosts “Night in Chinatown,” a free, family fun festival to celebrate the Lunar New Year. Locals and tourists come to enjoy the daylong event which features an abundance of authentic cuisine, live performances and various craft vendors who spread out along the streets of Chinatown. In addition to the street festival, attendees can watch the Chinese New Year parade, filled with vibrant costumes and local participants.

The Chinese New Year Parade started at the State Capitol lawn with participants marching through Hotel Street, where they entered the Chinatown entrance that is guarded by two lions, and ended at River Street just before the second gate. Participants included EAH Housing, lion dance groups, festival queens and courts, cultural organizations, and local and national businesses.

Lunar New Year, or Chinese New Year, is one of the most important traditional Chinese holidays. The festival traditionally begins on the first day of the first month of the lunar calendar and the parade remains a popular local activity in Chinatown.

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About EAH Housing

Established in 1968, EAH Housing is one of the largest and most respected nonprofit housing development and management organizations in the western United States. EAH develops low-income housing, manages over 100 properties in California and Hawaii, and plays a leadership role in local, regional and national housing advocacy efforts.

For more information visit www.eahhousing.org.