FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Release #045-00
Tuesday, February 8, 2000
| Contact: | Sunny Mindel /Michael Anton (212) 788-2958 |
Mayor, New Yorkers Celebrate The Year of the Dragon
Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani tonight hosted a reception at Gracie Mansion in honor of the Lunar New Year, celebrated by many of the City's Asian American communities. Representatives of the Chinese, Korean, Tibetan, and Vietnamese communities joined the Mayor to celebrate the start of the Year of the Dragon-4698 on the Chinese calendar, 4333 on the Korean calendar, 2000 on the Vietnamese calendar, and 2127 on the Tibetan calendar-which began on February 5th. As part of tonight's celebration, the Mayor also proclaimed Lunar New Year Week in New York City.
"Each year, New Yorkers look forward to joining their neighbors in celebrating the Lunar New Year," Mayor Giuliani said. "This year, we mark the beginning of the Year of the Dragon, traditionally the luckiest of the 12 years of the lunar calendar. Throughout the City, New Yorkers celebrate with parades, traditional lion dances, banquets and cultural presentations. And tonight, we continue this wonderful tradition of rich culture and heritage.
"The Lunar New Year is a time for families to get together and for communities to come together. I want to wish you all a very happy, healthy and safe New Year," the Mayor concluded.
Tonight's event at Gracie Mansion included a traditional lion dance performance by Tony Chuy's Lion Dance Team, and also dragon and fan dances by the children of Chinatown Head Start.
The evening was co-sponsored by, among others, Chinatown Optical, Inc.; Hunter Vision Center, Inc.; Mott Street Optical, Inc.; Flushing Optical, Inc.; Universal Optical, Inc.; Sinocast/Sino Television; and Beezi LLC. Other sponsors who donated gifts included: Coca-Cola Bottling Company of New York (beverages); Mr. Cambao DeDuong (food); Hong Kong Tourist Association (Lunar New Year calendars); Joe's Shanghai Restaurant (food); Manhattan Florist, Inc. (flowers); MetLife Financial Services (gift bags); and Ten Ren Tea and Ginseng, Co., Inc. (beverages).
www.ci.nyc.ny.us