The Northern California South Bay Taiwanese Association will host the 2012 Taiwan Lantern Festival at Quinlan Community Center, Cupertino, California on February 11 to celebrate the ending of Chinese Lunar New Year.
Activities will include an aboriginal dance from the high green mountains, a flower lantern dance, riddle solving, sing along, a play, and traditional ceremony with glutinous rice cakes as gifts. There will also be plenty of activities to keep the children occupied, including lantern-making, cartoon drawing and games. Attendees will also get an update of Taiwan’s future after the presidential election.
Sidney Chen, president of the association, said the event serves to promote the traditional folklore and improve the cultural understanding for Taiwan among the next generation growing up in the US.
A cooking expert will also demonstrate how to use red beans and glutinous rice to make red turtle cake, a popular festive snack shaped like turtle shell and served on a circular bamboo leaf. Taiwanese people see the turtle as a symbol of longevity and believe the color red brings good fortune.
For details, please go to www.sbta.net.