Saturdays are typically quiet at Dunbar Middle School, but over the weekend the campus came alive with the sounds of drums and the sight of red dragon costumes as the community gathered to celebrate the Lunar New Year on Jan. 31.
The Lunar New Year is the beginning of a new zodiac cycle based on the Chinese lunar calendar. The holiday falls on a different date each year on the Gregorian calendar. This year’s celebration welcomed the year of the Horse. Anne Meyer, vice president of the Southwest Florida Chinese Association, said the occasion carried special meaning for the community.
"When the horse arrives, comes success,” Meyer said. “It [has] a lot of meaning for the Chinese community, and we want to make sure that we get the celebration big for this year.”
According to the Chinese zodiac, 2026 is the year of the fire horse, with the Lunar New Year officially beginning Feb. 17. Meyer said the group chose to celebrate early to give people an opportunity to enjoy Valentine’s Day.
The Southwest Florida Chinese Association was founded more than 30 years ago by Jerry Pong Wingma to celebrate Chinese culture in a region with a relatively small Chinese population.
“I chose to come down to Florida,” he said. “The weather is warmer.”
Wingma moved from China to New Jersey before settling in Fort Myers in 1975. When the association first began, it had fewer than 50 members. Saturday’s celebration, by contrast, drew hundreds of attendees.
“[My] favorite part is that we can have family and friend gather together and celebrate,” he said. “It’s a good time to be happy, to be friendly and [I wish] for everyone to [celebrate] new years.”
At the end of the performances, attendees formed a long line to enjoy traditional Chinese appetizers, including spring rolls, sesame balls and of course, fortune cookies.
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