Philadelphia held its unique Holiday Parade, celebrating winter’s holidays, including Hanukkah, Christmas, Kwanzaa, New Year, and Chinese New Year on the evening of Dec. 2. This marked the third Holiday Parade in Philadelphia after the pandemic.
Bigger and brighter than ever, the multicultural holiday parade marched up Market Street from 2nd Street to City Hall, featuring festive floats, marching bands, dance groups, and large balloons with many favorite holiday characters, including Santa Claus and his reindeer.
Thousands of people of all ages were thrilled to watch the parade with their families and friends who gathered to witness this grand spectacle. From the excitement on children’s faces to the joyous cheers of the crowd, the atmosphere was filled with a sense of wonder and warmth.
Some expressed their excitement and shared their New Year wishes with The Epoch Times.
Visitors’ Joy
Michael Gall, a city planner in Philadelphia, told The Epoch Times that he and his family thoroughly enjoyed the parade. “We love it. It’s beautiful, full of talent, and so much fun,” he said. “The kids are having a blast, dancing to everything. Can’t wait to see more.”
Mr. Gall shared that his family planned to continue celebrating the holiday with more upcoming events. “Right after this, we’re going to get dim sum, and I think we’re going to march in at Valley Forge [National Historical Park] next week. The Philadelphia Orchestra has their children’s concert coming up, and we’re going to that too.” His New Year’s wish is for “peace and lots of it.”
Amanda Stella-Adams, a surgical resident at Abington Hospital in Pennsylvania, watched the parade with joy alongside her nephew. She said, “I love seeing people from different cultures celebrate the holidays in their own ways, and it’s really nice to see all the kids dancing.”
Her New Year wish is to “learn how to relax a little better” due to her demanding schedule. “Being a surgical resident, we get really busy so it’s kind of hard to wind down. So being more forgiving with myself, and spending more time with family like my nephew Landon.”
Sylvia Scott, a property manager from North Carolina, traveled to Philadelphia with her family for the holiday season and found themselves there during the parade. “So enjoying it!” Ms. Scott exclaimed. “It’s been wonderful. So far, we’ve enjoyed the music, and all the people have been super wonderful.” Ms. Scott’s New Year wish is for “peace, happiness, and for everyone to just learn to get along.”
RaeAnna Selleck, holding her daughter, laughed while watching the parade. “I’m loving it. We love all the marching bands,” Ms. Selleck said. “She likes dancing to them too. It’s really fun.”
She mentioned their usual holiday celebrations, including decorating for Christmas, enjoying the city, and making gingerbread houses. Her New Year wish is that “we would all be happy and healthy.”
Shannon Kelleher, Clinical Research Coordinator at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, was excited to see the parade with her friends.
“It’s really fun. We’ve been here for about an hour, and the weather is wonderful. It’s really cool seeing all the different people from around the city and from other places like Maryland and Virginia come out too,” she said. “So it’s been great!”
Participants’ View
One of the largest participants in the parade, the Falun Dafa Tian Guo Marching Band and Waist Drum Band from New York, with more than 100 performers, has joined the Philadelphia Holiday Parade every year since its inception three years ago. Marching band drum major Michelle Mi shared her views on the celebration.“We come here to join the celebration, bring beautiful music here, and also express our gratitude for our faith and the freedoms we enjoy here in the United States,” she said.
“We want to share the goodness and positive energy that people can hopefully feel from our music and share with everyone.”
Truthfulness, compassion, and forbearance—the principles of the traditional cultivation practice Falun Dafa—guide the Tian Guo Marching Band through its original songs as well as traditional American patriotic songs.
Ms. Mi mentioned she could feel the enthusiasm among Philadelphians during their performance and how the audience love their costumes and performance.
“They really love it and then they hear the music and they’re cheering us on,” she said. “It’s really nice.”
Appreciation
The one-of-a-kind parade celebrating winter holidays from different ethnic groups deeply touched the hearts of visitors. Arvin Medhat, originally from Iran, expressed her appreciation for the diverse cultures coming together in Philadelphia.She found it interesting, coming from a country with no freedom, to see people freely expressing themselves in the United States.
“I really appreciate that from all nations who gather together and live in Philadelphia, they freely can come and show their cultures,” Ms. Medhat said.
“But I am so sorry for many other countries, that the government doesn’t let people live like that. They don’t give freedom to people. I don’t want to name the other countries,” she continued. “But as you know, and these days there is a lot of hatred around the world.”
Her new year wish is to bring peace to the world, hoping for “unity between all the people around the world, all religion, all culture, and all different colors”.
“I really hope that one day we see all aboard in peace and happiness,” Ms. Medhat concluded.
