Lunar New Year festivities will look different this year due to COVID-19
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Updated: 6:52 AM PST Feb 11, 2021
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Updated: 6:52 AM PST Feb 11, 2021
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GEARING UP FOR LUNAR NEW YEAR CELEBRATIONS HAPPENING THIS FRIDAY. LISA: THE LUNAR NEW YEAR IS AN IMPORTANT HOLIDAY FOR MANY ASIAN PEOPLE. BUT BECAUSE OF COVID-19 EVENTS ARE EXPECTED TO LOOK VERY DIFFERENT THIS YEAR. >> LANTERNS, BANNERS. STEPHANIE: TONY NGUYEN SHOWS US AROUND HIS SOUTH SACRAMENTO FLOWER SHOP, T & M FLORAL. TONY: THIS IS RED ENVELOPE, WE CALL [SPEAKING CANTONESE]. STEPHANIE: THE STORE, A HOT SPOT FOR THOSE LOOKING FOR LUCKY LUNAR NEW YEAR DECOR FROM BRIGHT RED LANTERNS TO LION DANCE PUPPETS FOR THE KIDS. THIS, ALL PART OF LOCAL CELEBRATIONS FOR ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT HOLIDAYS IN ASIAN CULTURE. THE LUNAR NEW YEAR KICKS OFF ON FRIDAY, AND ITS TRADITIONALLY A TIME FOR FAMILY AND FRIENDS TO GATHER AND REUNITE. DAVY: THIS YEAR IS KINDA DIFFERENT. STEPHANIE: DAVY SENG, PICKING UP A TRAY OF GRILLED PORK FOR HER SOCIALLY DISTANCED CELEBRATION. DAVY: THIS YEAR, ONLY FAMILY, NO FRIEND, NEIGHBOR, NOTHING. STEPHANIE: MANY HERE TELLING US BEHIND MASKED FACES, ANY GET-TOGETHERS WILL BE SMALL. LINDA: DISAPPOINTMENT WOULD BE AN UNDERSTATEMENT. STEPHANIE: LINDA LUI ORGANIZES LUNAR NEW YEAR CELEBRATIONS THE SACRAMENTO CHINESE-INDOCHINESE BUDDHIST TEMPLE. THE EVENT NORMALLY ATTRACTS THOUSANDS EVERY YEAR. LINDA: THIS YEAR PROBABLY GONNA BE LESS. PEOPLE AFRAID OF EXPOSURE. STEPHANIE: THE ISSUE ADDING TO THE LIST OF CHALLENGES FACED BY MANY SENIORS IN THE ASIAN AMERICAN COMMUNITY. WOULD YOU SAY PEOPLE NOW ARE TRAUMATIZED? LINDA: YEAH. WE ARE TALKING ABOUT LONELINESS, DEPRESSION. A LOT OF ELDERS ARE AT HOME. STEPHANIE: ADVISED TO STAY INDOORS BY COMMUNITY ADVOCATES, TO PREVENT EXPOSURE TO COVID-19. LUI ADDING, THE COMMUNITY IS FEARFUL OF POSSIBLE ASSAULTS, LIKE THE ONES CAPTURED ON VIDEO IN THE BAY AREA SHOWING ASIAN ELDERS GETTING SHOVED INTO THE SIDEWALK. THE YEAR OF THE OX MARKS THE NGUYEN’S 21ST YEAR OF BUSINESS. THEY, LIKE MANY IN THIS STRIP MALL, ARE OPTING OUT OF THE TRADITIONAL LIGHTING OF FIRECRACKERS AND LION DANCING THIS YEAR, A CEREMONY MEANT TO DRIVE OUT THE BAD SPIRITS OF THE PAST. STILL, TONY IS HOPEFUL. >> BUSINESS AS USUAL, THAT’S WHAT I’M HOPING FOR. GO TO NEW NORMAL SOON, YOU KNOW, LIKE WE USED TO BE. STEPHANIE: PEOPLE BORN IN THE YEAR OF THE OX ARE KNOWN FOR THEIR DEPENDABILITY, STRENGTH AND DETERMINATION. QUALITIES THAT CARRIED MANY OF THESE LOCAL BUSINESSES THROUGH THE CHALLENGES OF THE LAST YEAR. REPORTING FROM SACRAMENTO, STEPHANIE LIN, KCRA 3