Sonia Tastes Hawaii

Kung Hee Fat Choy - Chinese New Year Celebration in Hilo!

The Chinese New Year starts on the first evening of a new year's month with a new moon and lasts for 15 days.  It is also celebrated in China as the beginnings of Spring. 

A traditional Lion Dance kicks off the festivities in Hilo

This year the Chinese New Year started on February 7th and will last for 15 days until ending with the Lantern Festival.

On that last day of the festival whole cities and towns in China are decorated with lanterns to celebrate the last day of the full moon.

Overview of a section of Kalakaua Park during the 6th Annual Chinese New Year Festival in Hilo.

According to the Chinese Lunar Calendar, we are now celebrating the year 4706 or Year of the Rat.

A little boy all set to enter the Chinese costume contest.

Saturday 15th of February, the 6th Annual Chinese New Year Festival was held in Hilo at Kalakaua Park.  This was the biggest event yet.  More booths, more people, more contests and attractions.

We ran into our friend Sue and her daughter Cindy there.  Sue did her part to dress festively!

 

Part of the celebration included performances by dancers from the Phoenix Dance Chambers of Oahu led by Diane Letoto.  The ensemble also performed at the Palace Theater in Hilo the previous evening.

Young performers from the Phoenix Dance Chambers charmed the crowd

Chinese Flickering Fan Dance

Mongolian Horsemen Dance

Hunan Province Hunters Dance

The Firecracker Dance was one of the highlights!

 

That is me, standing in the middle, under the huge banyan tree anchoring one corner of Kalakaua Park

Alice Moon, without whose hard work, initiative and imagination there would not be so many wonderful events and festivals celebrated in Hilo throughout the year!  I caught Alice in a moment of contemplation sitting by the statue of King David Kalakaua, our 'Merrie Monarch' and last King of Hawaii.

The next Hilo festival will be the "45th Merry Monarch Hula Competitions" held every year in honor of King David Kalakaua and held the week after Easter every year.  On Saturday, April 5th, go to Kalakaua Park after the downtown Merrie Monarch Parade, where we will again celebrate our "Merrie Monarch" in the park named for him.

For more about the 6th Annual Chinese New Year's Festival in Hilo, please visit my pages at my foodiesleuth pages at Gather.com

My apologies

I bought a new printer/scanner/copier because the older one was giving me problems....all of a sudden I cannot open my digital photo cards in the new one, no matter how often I read the manual and follow the steps.

Technical machines and I don't get along too well....Until I can find someone who can help me, I can't post in the blog with photos....and I have a special Valentine's Day Dessert Party to share!!!

Hope I can find out what is happening!

So sorry

Happy Valentine's Day!

Sonia

Valentine Making Party

When my friend Sue hosts a party she expects you to participate fully....her parties are not 'expectator sports' and always carry a theme.  Sue is very creative and through the years her guests have participated fully in whatever parties she has dreamed up.

Valentine heart shaped anthuriums arranged by Sue's daughter Cindy

In the past, we have decorated hats, slippahs (as flip-flops are called here), decorated and 'thrown' coconuts for prizes, used bananas as decorative objects, hunted for decorated eggs, were provided with long lei making needles attached to one invitation so the guest could bring an original lei to be judged in a contest and much more...including a "Stomp on Cancer Party!".

The last invitation received was handwritten in red ink and invited us to "Please come for Valentine Making Sunday Feb 3, 1PM-5PM (drop in kine) Sue's House - (phone number) - Red Refreshments"

The refresments were red as promised, including the Coeur a la Creme and Raspeberry Coulis which was my contribution.

The huge rainstorms we have had lately (if you watch CNN from any where in the world, you probably saw many parts of Hilo underwater with ducks swimming in some of the main downtown intersections) kept some of the guests from coming, but the ones who made it had a great time!

Gabriel and Lizby working on their Valentine cards

Sue, Cindy and Laurie working across the table working on theirs...

 

One of Cindy's cards

One of Lizby's cards

Sue had loads of supplies and goodies for us to choose from....paper, fabric, lace, cloth flowers, stick-ons, magazine cut-outs, ribbons, a miniature playing card deck all featuring the heart suit...colored pencils and pens, water colors and brushes, red glitter and goodness knows how much more!

One of Gabriel's creations

Envelope and front of the card I made for my mom...

The plain red card stock is laminated with a piece of paper in red graphics and cut to fit on one side, then the complete card was covered in antique lace and the Valentine glitter word pasted on top of the lace.

The back of the card for my mother - the word LOVE and my name in glitter with a magazine cutout of an old fashioned doll.

Heart shaped box covered and decorated by Laurie

Sue's jig-saw girl card

Unfortunately the lighting from the flash was not enough to light the whole room....but here is the group (minus the camera person ....ME) enjoying our Sunday afternoon making Valentines for our near and dear, while the rest of the country watched the Super Bowl...