Pacific Symphony Celebrates The End Of Lunar New Year With Virtual Lantern Festival

The entire family can join Pacific Symphony for its sixth annual Lantern Festival, which is being offered virtually for the first time. This free event will be streamed live and takes place online on Pacific Symphony's YouTube and Facebook pages on Feb. 27, from 10 a.m. to 11:45 a.m.

The Lantern Festival, which can be traced back 2,000 years, takes place 15 days after the Lunar New Year-on the first full moon night in the lunar calendar-and marks the return of spring, representing the reunion of family. The act of lighting and appreciating lanterns is a way for people to let go of the burdens of their old selves and express their best wishes for themselves and their families for the future.

Pacific Symphony and South Coast Chinese Cultural Center/ Irvine Chinese School are co-presenting this family-friendly virtual festival to commemorate the end of the Lunar New Year celebration with music, dance, demonstrations and riddles. Viewers will have the opportunity to create their very own lantern, be inspired by traditional Chinese music and dance, and even have the opportunity to win a special ox lantern.

Artists include: South Coast Chinese Orchestra, Irvine Chinese Choir e??e??, American Feel Young Chorus e??ae??, Evangelical Valley Children's Choir ae??a??a?'c??a??a"?aoe?, Orange County Ladies Chorus ae??c??a??e??, Eastern Taiwan Women's Ensemble c??e??a??a"?aoe?, Hua-Lien Yi-Chung Middle School Wind Ensemble e??e"?a?oeae??aoe?a??c??ae??, Hua-Lien Dancing School e??e"?e??e??a??, Chinese Dance Company of Southern California, and members of Pacific Symphony and Pacific Symphony Youth Ensembles.

You'll enjoy participating in paper lantern making, riddles and a calligraphy demo. You'll have a chance to win prizes, and you won't want to miss the dragon dance!

The Lantern Festival is made possible through the generous support of the James Irvine Foundation.

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