THE SNAKE WRIGGLES IN L.A. ZOO CELEBRATES LUNAR YEAR.Byline: Sylvia L. Oliande Staff Writer Hundreds of people crowded under the canopy of the Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. Zoo's Treetops Terrace on Sunday morning Sunday Morning may refer to:
The lions' dance was part of the zoo's lunar new year Lunar New Year may refer to the beginning of the year in several calendars. It is commonly assumed that they are all based on a lunar calendar. However, this is not the case. celebration - two days of entertainment, exhibitions and craft projects to help ring in the Year of the Serpent, which begins Wednesday. ``Did anyone get kissed by the lion?'' Ken Hui, master of ceremonies for the Northern Shaolim Kung Fu kung fu Pinyin gongfu Chinese martial art that is simultaneously a spiritual and a physical discipline. It has been practiced at least since the Zhou dynasty (1111–255 BC). Association demonstration, asked the crowd as the lion puppeteers were uncloaked. ``If you get touched by the lion or kissed by the lion, you get good luck all year long,'' he added, as the men walked off stage. ``And if you're a kid, you get good grades all year.'' Zoo officials estimated attendance at about 15,000 people on Saturday and Sunday. It was not clear how many participated in the event. Los Angeles resident Stanley Chu, who emigrated from Taiwan 10 years ago, said that since he has been in the United States United States, officially United States of America, republic (2005 est. pop. 295,734,000), 3,539,227 sq mi (9,166,598 sq km), North America. The United States is the world's third largest country in population and the fourth largest country in area. , the lunar new year has been celebrated quietly at home with friends and family. So, his young children have not experienced the spectacle and grand ceremonies of his youth. ``It's good for people to see the different cultures and see how they celebrate the new year,'' Chu said. ``You can't find this very much in Los Angeles. I was surprised to get here and see so many things, see the children and the celebration. It's pretty fun.'' Sharon Coggin, marketing manager for the Los Angeles Zoo The Los Angeles Zoo founded in 1966, is a large zoo located in Los Angeles, California, USA. The Zoo, located in Los Angeles' Griffith Park, is home to 1,200 animals from around the world. , said the name of the third annual event was changed from ``Chinese New Year'' to reflect all the Asian cultures who recognize the lunar calendar Noun 1. lunar calendar - a calendar based on lunar cycles calendar - a system of timekeeping that defines the beginning and length and divisions of the year . The celebration was a chance to reach out to the Asian-American population and to spotlight the cultural traditions of the holiday. The zoo's reptile house Reptile House was a 1980s hardcore punk band from Baltimore's music scene. The band included Daniel Higgs, later of Lungfish, as well as drummer London May who went on to play in Glenn Danzig's post Misfits band Samhain. was a featured attraction, educating people about the habits and environment of the animal representing the year. ``We wanted everybody to learn about why, and how, they celebrate new year at this time,'' Coggin said. To that end, the event's sponsors gave out some holiday staples, including ``red envelopes'' normally filled with money but this time with coupons and candy, as well as calendars and horoscopes based on the lunar calendar. Other Los Angeles area new year celebrations include a weekend-long carnival and street fair in Chinatown from Feb. 9 to Feb. 11, which will include the 102nd annual Golden Dragon parade at 2 p.m. Feb. 10. CAPTION(S): 2 photos Photo: (1 -- 2) Jondren Hwang, 1, above, gets the balcony-seat view of a Chinese lion dancer on Sunday during the opening of the Los Angeles Zoo's celebration of the lunar new year. At left, Nina Chu, 5, gets help from mother Sunny Chen in making a red paper lantern Paper lanterns come in various shapes and sizes, as well as various methods of construction. The easiest form, is simply a paper bag with a candle placed inside, although more complicated lanterns consist of a collapsible bamboo or metal frame of hoops, covered with tough paper. on Sunday. John Kennedy/Special to the Daily News |
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