Year of the Rabbit (and Cat!)

This week marked the beginning of the year 4709 in some Asian cultures.  The Chinese Zodiac has this year marked as the Year of the Rabbit but in Vietnam this year deviates from the Chinese cycle and they celebrate it as the Year of the Cat.  Which explains some of the differences you'll see at the two major new year's parades in Chicago this weekend.

Saturday, February 5th will be the Vietnamese New Year's parade in Uptown at 1pm, in the heart of the city's Vietnamese community.  1 pm will also be the kickoff of the Chinese New Year's parade in Chinatown this Sunday, February 6th.

Both parades will feature lion and dragon dances, as well as floats, marching bands and more.  Both neighborhoods also offer a lot of great food options and are easily accessible by the CTA's Red Line with Saturday's parade near the Argyle station and Sunday's parade by the Cermak station.