Hot Springs to ring in Year of the Dog

Outside of China, London has the largest Chinese New Year celebration in the world. In Sanders County, the township most likely to hold a celebration for a non-traditional holiday would be Hot Springs.

Whether sun or snow (the holiday can fall anywhere between January 21 and February 20), for years Hot Springs has been throwing some kind of bash for the Chinese New Year. While the streets of Hot Springs will undoubtedly show signs of the festivities, much of the fanfare will stem from the Symes Hotel.

This year, the Chinese New Year will fall on Friday, February 16. The moveable-holiday's placement is determined by lunisolar calendar and follows a 12-year animal zodiac, with 2018 being the year of the dog. As Americans have finally cleared their eyes of the hangover from New Year's Eve, there's no need to hit the liquor store as this isn't known as a drinking holiday - it would seem the whole premise of the shindig (sometimes celebrated as long as two weeks) is to usher in good luck, while sweeping out bad luck.

A slew of superstitions and traditions are observed for the new year, more modernly known as Spring Festival, and some of those superstitions are as moveable as the holiday's date.

For example, those who were born in the Year of the Dog (1946, 1958, 1970, 1982, 1994, 2006) are warned that other years of the dog are said to be bad luck for them.

During the holiday, topics of death and sickness are to be avoided – in order to avoid bad luck in those areas. Also, ceramic and pottery should not be broken. If it is, it should be wrapped in red paper and disposed of – all while muttering positive phrases about good luck.

For youth the holiday is better than losing a mouthful of teeth, as adults attempt to reap good luck by giving children 'good luck money' in red envelopes. For those tech savvy adults, an app called Red Envelope has been created for devices to give the gift online.

Fireworks and fire dancing have been employed in past Hot Springs events ringing in the Chinese New Year. Traditionally, fireworks were used to scare away the Nian – a beast that lived in the mountains or seas known to eat crops, villagers and children. Since Hot Springs has not had a Nian sighting in recent memory, the celebration must be working. It is also one of the few evenings one can order Chinese entrees from the Symes kitchen.

At noon, there will be Asian dishes served at the Senior Center, and a Dog Fashion Show taking place next to the Senior Center at 1 p.m.

Beginning at 3 p.m., the Dragon Parade on Main Street will commence, with festive colors, paper lanterns, streamers and other accoutrements to add to the event.

"We've had a 'community dragon' for several years," said Symes owner Leslie Smith, "it was constructed at the high school with the help of students. Each year, it awakens for the Chinese New Year." The large paper-mache head is trailed by a fabric body, requiring multiple participants to steer the reptile through the streets.

For more information about the Hot Springs Chinese New Year, Call the Symes at 741-2361.