The Year of the Snake slithered into the Fox Valley Mall on Saturday, as the Xilin Association celebrated the Lunar New Year.
Year of the Snake means ‘transformation and wisdom’
“There are 12 zodiacs in the Chinese culture. So every year there’s an order and this year just happens to be the year of the snake,” said Xilin Association Director of Community Engagement Sophia Luo.
Luo said the snake represents “transformation and wisdom.”
A cultural celebration for all to enjoy
The public celebration started with a dragon walk through the mall and was followed by live performances and many fun cultural activities for all ages to enjoy in the mall’s Center Park.
“It’s been great to see the youth and the adults here sharing their events and their talents. They had martial arts, they had dancing, singing, and they also have a lot of fun events…where you can participate in dumpling making, calligraphy…you can learn how to do yoyos, you also can learn how to use chopsticks, so it’s really great” said Fox Valley Mall General Manager Steven Yee.
A 5-year tradition at Fox Valley
This was the fifth year the mall hosted a Lunar New Year celebration.
“It is my greatest honor to share our Chinese roots, our culture, and our music with everyone in the community,” Luo said, adding, ““We love showcasing the diversity of the culture in the community so that we can unify people.”
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