Bacolaodiat 2011: Hopping Towards Prosperity

Yesterday, the whole Chinese Community celebrated the Chinese New Year with a bang! Here in Bacolod City Philippines, The Chinese New Year is celebrated with the BacoLaoDiat Festival 2011.

BacoLaoDiat is a combination of the words Bacolod, and LaoDiat, Hookien word for celebration. As the whole Bacolod Tsinoy Community ushers in the Year of the Rabbit, this years BacoLaoDiat theme is “Hopping Towrads Prosperity”.

The three day Bacolaodiat CNY celebrations started yesterday with a grand parade headed by a dragon and lion dance. It was also participated by the different Chinese Schools and communities in Bacolod City.

The whole stretch of Lacson Street, known as the Chopsticks alley is now decked with hanging red lanterns and large chinese Zodiac Decors.
Twelve floats representing the twelve Chinese Zodiac was also paraded from the Fountain of Justice down to the Capitol Lagoon. Also joining the parade were the different drum and bugle corps and the twelve participating groups gfor the Chinese Lantern Streetdance competition.

Our group from Brgy 17 has been very busy preparing for the grand performance which is slated tomorrow. Every night the dancers undergo rigorous rehearsals to perfect the routine. I am very excited to see them on the streets perform tomorrow, and Im really really proud of them.

Usually before the reharsals would start, I’d go to our meeting place well ahead of time to help fix the costumes and make the lanterns. Working on the lanterns alone os very meticulous as the beads and the bells have to be sewn one by one.

Later tonight, there will be a variety of shows along the Chopsticks Alley, the main festival site of the BacoLaoDiat 2011, while our group will be having its final preparations and dress rehearsals tonight.

The Chinese Lantern streetdance for this years Chinese New Year celebration is scheduled February 5, at 8PM.

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