The Dog Is Back
No, this is not the name of Snoop's new gospel album. It's actually the Chinese New Year - the year of the dog. I went to St Ann's, Nottingham to capture this event and to observe the culture. I hope you enjoy what I have to share in this blog.
Chinese New Year was on Friday 16th February 2018, however on Sunday 18th February, there were festivities to welcome in the blessings of a new year.
What Does The Year Of The Dog Symbolise?
The dog symbolises to some characteristics of hard work ethics, loyalty and selflessness. There are said to be five types of dogs you can be.
1) A Wood Dog (Sincere, reliable and patient)
2) A Fire Dog (Intelligent, hardworking and sincere)
3) An Earth Dog (Communicative, serious and responsible at work)
4) A Gold Dog (Conservative, desirable)
5) A Water Dog (Brave but self-centred)
Information courtesy of ChinaHighlights.com
Tag a friend and tell them what dog they are.
Clashing of Symbols
The thundering of drums and the clashing of symbols signalled the start of the procession. Like a heart beat, the sound of the drums brought the little dog to life. The golden dog came to life and began to dance before the onlookers.
The community were truly pleased to see and hear the procession making the most of this unique cultural experience. It is something that really got the community out. I hope Nottingham do bigger each year to grow this event, so that more can take part.
Recommendations
One of the downfalls of the procession I went to was that the procession mainly took place in a store; this interfered with shoppers who showed little interest in the procession and limited the access for onlookers who did not have a vantage point. We made the most of it and still enjoyed the occasion but it would of been better outside on the street.
Chinese New Year is something that is celebrated in most of the major U.K cities - London, Manchester and Birmingham to name a few. These cities tend to do things on the street due to the crowds it draws.
My second recommendation would be to include more of the community in the processions. This would make them a part of it more.
One thing I had not considered about the dance was the physical effort it took to move the body to the rhythm. These were trained athletes performing. The coordination between both dancers and the musicians was key, both groups worked together from set to set. I could hear the communications and signals needed in order to execute rehearsed movements. The smoothness of the transitions meant that even when dancers swapped over it was barely noticeable.
This was one of my favourite images, a dog strutting through a super market aisle. Certainly something I've never seen before.
To conclude, welcome to the "Year Of The Dog". I hope you enjoyed this post as much as I enjoyed the procession of the Chinese New Year. I would most assuredly do this again.
Thank you for reading, hopefully there is a space below to leave comments.
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