Scarsdale Chinese Association Celebrates the Year of the Rabbit
- Tuesday, 31 January 2023 07:54
- Last Updated: Thursday, 02 February 2023 12:46
- Published: Tuesday, 31 January 2023 07:54
- Joanne Wallenstein
- Hits: 2519
After a three year hiatus due to COVID, the Scarsdale Chinese Association brought back their lunar new year celebration, this year grander than ever.
The party moved to the Surf Club on the Sounds in New Rochelle where the 225 attendees had plenty of space for their performances and an elegant Chinese feast supplied by O-Mandarin and Central Seafood.
The event was chaired by Elaine Wang and Vera Liu who opened the evening by saying, “During COVID we all stayed inside and even avoided each other. Now’s the time to have a party!” They recruited many to underwrite the evening, including their primary sponsor New York Life.
Mayor Jane Veron wished everyone a happy Year of the Rabbit and invited the Chinese community to visit Village Hall and participate in Village government.
The celebration included performances by dance troupes, starting with “The First Drum of the New Year, “ performed by the children, dressed in traditional red costumes. There were several dances by women dressed in ornate and colorful costumes interspersed with a violin solo, a saxophone solo, a vocalist and the seniors doing their umbrella dance. In between acts, a drum of raffle tickets was rolled out and tickets were drawn for cash prizes in red envelopes. The performances were completed by the communities most senior members singing Auld Lang Syne.
Host Vera Liu, who is a former television personality, was the master of ceremonies and announced each performance in both English and Chinese.
Once the performances were complete, a feast of many courses including lobster, toothpick lamb, fish, mushrooms, noodles and chicken was served.
The mood was festive and everyone appeared to be enjoying this celebration of community in a new venue.
Thanks to Elaine Wang, Vera Liu, Jing Lu, Xue Su, and Vivian Lin