Giddy up, Sunny friends! If my day in Chinatown is any indication of what the Chinese New Year 2014: The Year of the Horse is going to be like, y’all had better grab those reigns tight!
London holds the 2nd biggest celebration of the Chinese New Year outside of Asia, and this year the biggest events were on a glorious sunny in London day, February 2nd. Sadly, I have to say my attempt at joining the party was an epic fail.
As I made my way to Chinatown, I stopped in a Pret a Manger near Piccadilly Circus for a latte. Oddly enough, for the second time in one week, I received a free coffee.
The past two times I've been in Pret a Manger, I've been given a free coffee by someone. I love this place!
— Sunny in London☀️ (@Sunny_in_London) February 2, 2014
“Year of the Horse?” I thought to myself as I clutched my drink and headed toward the scents of glorious Chinese food simmering in the air, “more like Year of the Lucky Duck!”
But this is where my fortune expired. As I approached Wardour Street, the stampede began. Literally, hundreds of thousands of people had beaten me to the Chinese New Year 2014 party.
I fought for that picture for 10 minutes and nearly lost my camera in the sea of revelers.
<CRACK!>
Aside from all the wonderful smells emanating from the restaurants, there were tables in the streets so people could share the nibbles outside. I pushed my way through the crowds and grabbed this picture to show you…
And this one which shows some of the items for sale which represent the Year of the Horse…
<CRACK!>
Whooooooa, that’s enough. What was that damn noise I kept hearing every five seconds?
<CRACK!>
It seemed to be coming from the ground, but I couldn’t see my own feet in the mobs of people.
After nearly an hour of crowd surfing, capturing interrupted pictures, and dodging floor firecrackers, I surrendered and took a walk toward my buddy, Big Ben. While passing Trafalgar Square, I could see there were even more events occurring.
But, that’s as close as I could get. Do any Sunny friends know what was happening on the stage? And how did this guy manage to sift through the crowd on a bicycle?
<CRACK!> <CRACK!> <CRACK!>
Ok, now I had narrowed the noise down to small children. They were throwing a handful of something on the ground, and when it hit, that sound happened…. <CRACK!>
At this point, my head was spinning…. Much like I’ve had a bottle of wine and taken a high-speed ride on this…
As I got further away from cha cha Chinatown, I found a British way to celebrate Chinese New Year 2014, Year of the Horse “Guard”.
However, even then I couldn’t get a clear shot of my image without someone stepping in the way. Hey lady, don’t you know I’m trying to blog here?!
Ahhhhhh. Much better.
I spent a while walking around Buckingham Palace, and then headed to my personal oasis, Covent Garden. Just as I turned a corner near Floral Street, this sign beckoned me down Rose Street…
Where I finished my day at the end of this road, with a bit of liquid sunshine.
So, Sunny in London friends, how was your experience celebrating Chinese New Year 2014 London? What tips and suggestions do you have for me next year? And WHAT WAS THAT CRACKING NOISE?
I went to China Town as well. It was so packed. Was fun for a little while, then we escaped and walked for about 15 minutes to a dumpling place!
Hi Sammy! I ended up at Buckingham Palace and eating French food for lunch! I think I’ll have to revisit Chinatown in a week or two when it’s calmed down a bit.
I haven’t braved the madness for many a year… such a chicken 😀
Thanks for reading, Emma! I think I’ll need to have a more strategic plan for future Chinese New Year celebrations 🙂
This is what they are !
Fire crackers ..Firecrackers are used by Chinese communities around the world during holiday celebrations and festivals, exceedingly during Chinese New Year.
Chinese celebrations are accompanied by a lot of noise. The sound of fire crackers chases away the terrible monster ‘Nian’ and other evil spirits, particularly those causing sickness, and hence, the sound brings good fortune. Furthermore, it is believed that the fire cracker’s noise awakens the deities and guardian spirits who are the custodians of good health, good fortune and prosperity. They will watch over the well-being of the people in the community.
Thank you for taking the time to read and comment! I thought there might be a story about good fortune connected to them. From all the noise I heard that day, there will certainly be a tremendous amount of enriching deities and guardian spirits awakened in the Year of the Horse!
Yay! Another person who had a horrible experience! I thought I was the only one :-/ Reading this made me feel so much better! You are brave go want to attempt it again next year! Looking forward to reading more of your posts 🙂
Thank you for reading, Debbie. It was really a tough day. Seems like it’s best to arrive very early and just be prepared for craziness. It’s exciting to see so many people though in London celebrating the Chinese New Year.