JANUARY 3, 2019 Photo by Louis Raphael
By Cindy Hu
EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE CHINESE NEW YEAR IN SAN FRANCISCO
On Feb. 23, 2019, San Francisco will welcome the Year of the Pig. Or if you prefer, it’s the year 4717 on the lunar calendar. In San Francisco, as in other Chinese population centers, the first days of the Year of the Pig will be celebrated within the immediate family circle. While most of the festivities will be concentrated in Chinatown and San Francisco’s downtown area, there are activities scheduled throughout the city. For more details, check out our handy guide to this year’s events.
Year of the Pig
According to lunar new year pros, the Year of the Pig is one in which many good things can come your way: greater wealth, exciting career changes, and even new love! Just be sure to exercise the better qualities that the pig is known for in Chinese tradition (responsibility, optimism, and generosity) and don't, well, wallow in the lesser ones.
According to several astrological sources, people born in the Year of the Pig are easy-going, sociable, and independent. Famous individuals born in the Year of the Pig include authors Ernest Hemingway and Stephen King, singers Carrie Underwood and Amy Winehouse, actresses Julie Andrews and Lucille Ball, one former American president (Ronald Reagan) and one former First Lady (Hillary Rodham Clinton).
Dim Sum and Then Some
There is little doubt that Chinese food as we know it in America started in San Francisco in the mid-1800s. The adaption of Chinese cuisine has gone through countless transformations and has produced some of the best restaurants on the West Coast.
Explore Chinatown and Union Square
Most Chinese New Year activities will be in Chinatown, the oldest and one of the largest of its kind in the United States. The parade will start on Market Street, snaking around downtown with the end of the parade route in the heart of Chinatown. Join Linda Lee as she navigates the neighborhood on a video tour of this community.
Night Moves
No New Year’s celebration is complete without nighttime libations. Find the best places to have a drink in Chinatown or any other San Francisco neighborhoods with our guide to the city.
Walking Tours
Chinatown’s rich history is difficult to condense. Luckily, San Francisco City Guides, Wok Wiz Tours and All About Chinatown Tours are reliable ways to get educated about this storied neighborhood as you explore with all your senses. Be sure to include a visit to the Chinese Historical Society of America in your plans for a deeper understanding of the community, too.
Here Be Dragons (And Lions)
Be sure you know the difference between a dragon and a lion when you’re talking about lunar wildlife. The dragon mascot of the annual Southwest Airlines Chinese New Year parade measures more than 200 feet long and takes a team of more than 100 men and women from martial arts group White Crane to propel along the parade route. While there are some smaller versions, there’s no mistaking the behemoth that climaxes the parade amid a fusillade of firecrackers. Lions, on the other hand, usually only require two performers – one to handle the head and another for the tail; in most cases, the tail extends about 12 feet.
What’s All the Noise About?
Firecrackers, beating drums, gongs and crashing cymbals drive away evil spirits. Throughout the Chinese New Year celebration—and especially on parade night—the festivities will be preceded by a loud outburst of firecrackers. Bring earplugs.
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