The Chinese New Year of the Rabbit begins Sunday, January 22. People around the world will ring in the Lunar New Year with celebrations of feasting, family reunions, and other festivities.
Before the Lunar New Year starts, it is important to clean your home in preparation for the new year. You symbolically clean away any bad luck left over from the previous year and make room for good luck coming in for the new year. Students do the same for Jing Ying’s studio. They dust off the trophies, sweep and mop the floors, clean the mirrors, and then celebrate with a pizza party. Afterward, their demo team will head out to perform the Chinese Lion Dance for a local restaurant’s ribbon-cutting ceremony (Oishi Japanese Restaurant in Arnold at 3 pm).
On Sunday, the first day of the Chinese New Year, Jing Ying will celebrate the occasion with a 2:00 pm performance at the Anne Arundel County SPCA’s Paws at the Mall. This innovative adoption center has adoptable small animals, including rabbits!
Jing Ying will continue the celebration with a series of free and low-cost classes and workshops as well as an open house on Saturday, January 28th, that includes a Chinese Lion Dance performance with demos of kung fu & tai chi, traditional treats, crafts for children, giveaways, and door prizes. It is also the start of a month-long silent auction fundraiser for the Alzheimer’s Association.
Registration and information for each event are available at www.JingYing.org
