Despite the constant snow flurries throughout Saturday afternoon, the Argyle annual Lunar New Year Parade brought in large crowds to celebrate the holiday. The celebration rings in the Year of the Rabbit in the Uptown neighborhood. (Amber Stoutenborough | The DePaulia)

Despite the constant snow flurries throughout Saturday afternoon, the Argyle annual Lunar New Year Parade brought in large crowds to celebrate the holiday. The celebration rings in the Year of the Rabbit in the Uptown neighborhood.

Amber Stoutenborough | The DePaulia

Photo Essay: Chicago celebrates the Year of the Rabbit

Amber Stoutenborough, Quentin Blais, and Erin Henze

January 30, 2023

The streets of Chicago were brimming with bright colors and festivities this past week as the city celebrated the Lunar New Year. The Lunar New Year marks the transition to a new year in the lunisolar calendar in Chinese culture. This year’s Chinese zodiac sign will be the rabbit — a symbol of luck, elegance and beauty. Throughout the week, The DePaulia multimedia team went out in the city to capture how Chicago celebrates the Year the Rabbit.

One student from the St. Therese Chinese Catholic School in Chinatown helps carry a dragon through the parade. In Chinese culture, the dragon symbolizes good luck, strength and health. (Erin Henze | The DePaulia)

Members of Ajumma Rising perform a flash mob dance during the Argyle Lunar New Year Celebration. The group name uses the Korean word Ajumma, meaning middle aged woman, which this group embraces as their new identity to celebrate together. (Amber Stoutenborough | The DePaulia)

A performer rhythmically beats a drum to accompany dragons which danced along Wentworth Ave. (Quentin Blais | The DePaulia)

The Chinese-American Museum float rides through the parade as onlookers smile and wave. (Erin Henze )

Following the parade, members of the Chinese Mutual Aid Association danced in dragon costumes. Attendees gathered around on Argyle Street and Winthrop Avenue to watch the performance. (Amber Stoutenborough | The DePaulia)

Rich Township Highschool’s marching band performs a routine in the parade. They were one of a couple local schools to participate in the event. (Quentin Blais | The DePaulia)

A group called “Lotus Girls” from Swift Elementary School perform their straw hat routine post parade in Argyle. (Amber Stoutenborough | The DePaulia)

The Chicago skyline can be seen peeking through the fog as the parade marches toward the stage on Cermak Rd. (Erin Henze | The DePaulia)

The Chinatown parade on Sunday began at 24th and Wentworth and made its way North to a stage constructed on Cermak Rd. (Quentin Blais | The DePaulia)

A young boy walks through the parade wearing a colorful Chinese dragon mask. These miniature versions of the Chinese dragon could be seen on the heads of many participants parading through the streets. (Erin Henze | The DePaulia)

Following the parade, crowds from all parts of the city gathered at the intersection of Cermak and Wentworth to hear from guest speakers such as 25th Ward Alderman Byron Sigcho-Lopez as well as other community members who helped coordinate the event. (Quentin Blais | The DePaulia)

Despite the constant snow flurries throughout Saturday afternoon, the Argyle annual Lunar New Year Parade brought in large crowds to celebrate the holiday. The celebration rings in the Year of the Rabbit in the Uptown neighborhood. (Amber Stoutenborough | The DePaulia)

The cold temperatures did not stop parade participants and spectators from coming out to celebrate the Lunar New Year in full force. (Erin Henze | The DePaulia)

A student from the St. Therese Chinese Catholic School in Chicago laughs as they carry the school’s banner through the parade. The school is located in Chinatown. (Erin Henze | The DePaulia)

Attendees congregate under the Chinatown Gateway as they trail behind the last groups in the parade. Chicago’s Chinatown neighborhood is the only such cultural enclave that is actively growing in the United states. (Quentin Blais | The DePaulia)

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