Night of the Dragon
City councilmen in classic convertibles. Marching bands, sponsored by local businesses and blasting big hits like "Beat It" and "Bad Romance". Children in costume, charming even those who have chosen to remain childless. This must be a parade.
In fact, it is the San Francisco Chinese New Year Parade, a tradition since the 1860s and the coolest parade I have ever seen.
What makes it so cool? It is held at night, for one thing, when even the mundane can become more interesting. Spotlights create vibrancy in colors and distortions in shapes. The flash of the firecrackers is as dramatic as the sounds of the explosions. And the lights of the city, the bridges, and the moon shine above like the eyes of supernatural spectators.
I could almost believe that dragons really do exist.
And it is a long parade - one of the longest in the world, beginning at sundown and stretching late into the evening. In fact, after about 90 minutes, Marissa had to use the loo, so we left the parade, walked blocks and blocks to find a place to pee, stumbled across an old Belgian-esque brasserie I had been to years ago on a business trip, drank a beer, walked blocks and blocks more, bought some late-night bao-zi, ate them, and began heading for the BART station - only to realize the parade was still going on. It is a marathon of an event.
While watching this spectacle, I couldn't help but think of the big ol' parade I grew up with: The Days of '47 Celebration. Dating from just 11 years before this parade, the Days of '47 celebrates the trek of the pioneers who settled in Salt Lake City after an arduous journey across the plains. It, too, is a monster of a parade, lasting hours and hours and representing groups from every corner of the state. It, however, is held at a very sober 9AM, in the cheerful sunshine of a Salt Lake City July. The Chinese New Year parade is illusion and magic - the Days of '47 is realism and clarity.
As I thought about these two seemingly opposite events - literally night and day - I began to realize just how alike, and even connected, they both are.
Both were born in the 19th century, each by distinct groups of people who had faced difficult odds in strange lands and, through hard work and perseverance, built strong, unique communities that they could both be proud of. Both groups - Mormons and Chinese immigrants and their descendants - have had profound impacts on their regions and even what we know of generally as "the American West." Both have developed a tradition of celebrating this history by throwing a big-ass parade, even though each does look distinctly different.
I've promised myself - and Marissa - that we will go see the Days of '47 Parade as soon as we can. I also plan to see the Chinese New Year parade every year while we still live in the San Francisco area. After all, it has helped me appreciate the one from my youth, and my history, more than I ever had before.
