On the 16th day of the 2018 Chinese New Year celebration season, just one day past the Lantern Festival, the Montgomery Chinese Branch helped usher in the Year of the Dog at the Washington DC Stake Center. Organized this year by Ben and Li-Fang Tsai and emceed by Drew and Jenny Smith, the evening's festivities officially began at 6pm. Actually, preparations began immediately after the baptism of our very own Fitz Bates at the stake center, which ended at 3pm. Then the tables and chairs and table cloths and table decorations magically appeared in 4 rows of 5 rectangular tables, each slightly slanted towards the center stage. Craft and food tables were strategically located at both sides, while the food serving tables lined the back with the tradition T-formation for the desserts. Folks on tall ladders boldly strung the festive lanterns and scrolls along the walls around the cultural hall. After the tables and chairs were determined, the lion dance began their final rehearsal around the room. The young girls rehearsed their dance, as did Brother Wang and Cynthia Zhan. The choir ran through their final rehearsal at 5pm.
At 6pm, the emcees dutifully began the show and asked President Huang to welcome the guests (with Jenny Smith translating). Bradley Johnson offered the invocation and blessed the food. Then, without introduction, the two lions, the red lion and the gold lion, entered to the beat of the drum. Steering the gold lion were Elders Packer and Anderson, while Changle Nian and Javi Urbina controlled the red lion. Joseph Cunningham controlled the beat on the drum, with Richard Huang and Isaiah Shen assisting on the cymbals and gong. They dazzled the audience as they sauntered around the room, teasing the spectators and winking their eyes. After their exit, the emcees instructed the audience on the manner of lining up for the dinner. After half an hour, Cynthia Zhan favored the audience on her violin with the traditional Chinese song, “Moon Represents My Heart" 「月亮代表我的心」. She was followed by Susan Liu bringing down the house with the Beijing Opera version of “The White Snake” 「白蛇傳」. Next, seven young cute girls (Celeste Bates, Joanna Fugal, Chloe Ge, Tong Tong Li, Tiffany Lu, Cayleigh Zhao, Michelle Zheng) delighted the audience with a dance entitled "Fengyang Flowers Welcome New Year"「鳳陽花鼓迎新春」. For the second year in a row, Brother Allen Junjie Wang sang with ease the popular Chinese song, “Congratulations!” 「恭喜發財」. He was followed by Ethan Liu playing "Fragrant Flower" 「花兒香」 on the Chinese gourd instrument. Our very own Elders Anderson, Chang, and Packer shared a moving testimony of the Book of Mormon and invited folks to visit their table and take a free Book of Mormon. The emcees attempted to stump the guests with five lantern riddles, some in English and some in Chinese. The 5 folks who answered correctly happily claimed their prizes. Finally, the Branch Choir led by Li-Fang Tsai and accompanied by Richard Huang sang two numbers: “Fengyang Song and Dance” 「鳳陽歌舞」 and “Congratulations!” 「恭喜發財」. Andrew and Charlotte Shen passed out red envelopes to children who came up and wished them Congratulations.
Children and adults who wished to join in the games received 6 tokens in the red envelopes. Each token allowed them to play the ring toss game or buy candy or exchange for a prize. At the same time, volunteers helped eager enthusiasts with Chinese crafts which included: Palace Lantern making, Chinese Knot Jewels, Fragrance bag making, Origami, Calligraphy, Hackey Sack making, Spring Roll making, Chopstick Contest, Missionary table, and making sticky rice balls.
Although this year's Chinese New Year celebration arrived a little later than usual in our branch, we were more than excited to enjoy the beginning of this new year with our families and friends. We relished in delicious foods and enjoyed a fulfilling cultural program and had lots of fun playing games and winning prizes with our friends. We wish everyone Gongxi Facai, 恭喜發財! Happy year of the Dog!
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