It’s Time to Celebrate

“It’s time to celebrate.”

“Everyone Around the World, Come on.”

As we scurried toward the New Year’s parade, I couldn’t help but thinking that it was oddly appropriate that an American pop song would be playing at a Chinese celebration, but then this was a Chinese New Year’s celebration in Chicago and not China. As the words celebrating filled the air, I looked around and saw that the world had truly come out to celebrate as the streets were filled with Americans of all racial backgrounds.

I was filled with the same sensation that I’d felt watching the Olympics opening ceremony two days earlier, that the world isn’t such a big place when we all make an effort to come together.The shouts of children filled the air, signifying that the Tiger was making his way down the parade route and the Year of the Tiger was officially here. Following the dancing tiger was a Chinese dragon held aloft by dancers who snaked their way down the street. A feeling of being part of both the history and the future filled me as I watched this most ancient of ceremonies adapt to the new world. Appropriately, the lyrics of Neil Diamond’s “America” were being piped through the loudspeakers as the parade made it’s way to the reviewing stand and my heart was filled with pride that I lived in a country that was a haven for freedom, freedom of expression, and the free celebration of national origin.

I finally realized what the term melting pot meant as I experienced first hand how America kept the best of traditional celebrations and made them something that all cultures could share. Everyone was welcome at the Chinese New Year’s celebration and we were all made to feel that in some weird way it was a part of our cultural heritage.

After watching the parade, Sean and I made our way to Three Happiness for lunch where we a head of lettuce was hanging on a post. A clearly Caucasian boy and his mother were standing near us and the boy was telling his mom that he’d heard about the lettuce was hung in shops to feed the dragon when he came to visit. Sean and I were enjoying dim sum when the sounds of drumming filled the air and the Chinese Dragon and Tiger came in to bless the restaurant.

Despite the tragedies and evil that fill the air waves, the afternoon was a reminder of all that is blissful in the world when cultures come together to celebrate instead of war.