Chinese New Year Event in Rome 2012

Huge disappointment. That’s how I feel about this year’s Chinese New Year event that’s taking place in Piazza del Popolo this afternoon.  It is a four-hour event that culminates with fireworks at about 6.15pm.

Why the disappointment?

For me, the only sense of Chinese New Year in Rome is this event and the reason I attend it is to watch the lion and dragon dance performances.  It’s my way of celebrating Chinese New Year! Last year they had awesome lion dance performances and some outstanding acrobatic acts.  This year I was looking forward to the same.

This afternoon, when we got there, I was excited to see that the lions and dragon were making their way to the stage.  The Mayor was again the guest of honor who painted the eyes of the dragon to awaken them but after that ceremony, there were no dragon performances.

To be honest, even that was organized poorly as the media huddled around the action and none of us in the crowd could get a glimpse of what was going on.

There were Chinese dances, a boy singing, kungfu performances, an acrobatic act and even lucky draw but there were no lion nor dragon dance performances.  At least not in the first hour but I wasn’t willing to stick around for four hours to see even if they will have it.

Overall, I felt it was a waste of time.  How can an event that is supposed to celebrate Chinese New Year not have a lion dance performance?

Anyway, despite my disappointment, it’s my intention to end this post on a positive note.  I am a week early (Chinese New Year is on 23rd January) but here’s wishing everyone who is celebrating Chinese New Year a Happy, Healthy and Prosperous 2012!