On Tuesday I stood in line early to watch the celebration of the Lunar New Year at Lan Su Chinese Garden. The long wait was worth it, despite cold feet and a mounting worry that my parking might expire before I got to visit the garden in full.
A kindly gentleman with a nifty beard contraption kept us in good spirits – he distributed red envelopes with lucky coins in them – Hongbao – to children and adults alike. This is a traditional custom ensuring that generosity is remembered and rewarded.
Then the lion dancers arrived at the plaza in front of the garden. Quick change in attire – it does get hot in those costumes.
Plenty of opportunity for the press to take pictures, and then the dance began.
Each lion had two hidden actors, some quite young, all very athletic as well as expressive. They happily “ate” the dollar bills offered to them by an enthusiastic crowd, kids transfixed.
The musicians were impressive as well, even though I feared I would go deaf standing right next to them, camera in hand and thus unable to plug my ears…..
Finally the gates to the garden opened. Dancers, musicians and public rushed in, making the rounds through the various pathways, performing some more on the terrace.
The garden was beautifully decorated with small, tasteful ornaments on some of the trees, horse graphics in the windows, and colorful sculptures in the ponds.
The combination of Horse (the 7th of the 12 Chinese zodiac signs) and Fire (one of the 5 rotating elements) reoccurs only every 60 years and is believed to be particularly powerful. The sign is associated with energetic, determined, resilient personalities with an entrepreneurial drive. It is also burdened with superstition: in some Asian cultures it was believed that women born under this sign were likely to overpower potential husbands and thus not a good match. Consequently, birth rates declined in those years to avoid exposing daughters to an uncertain fate.
It never ceases to amaze me how cultural mythology actually shapes our behavior.
Astrologers also claim that years of the Fire Horse are associated with important political and social events. Can we find that to be true of 1966, the last time the Fire Horse appeared?
Spoiler Alert: yes we can; and no, I did not check 1965 or 1967 just to confirm my hunch that important things happened then as well, as they do every year….
I will, however, remark on where we are 60 years later.
1966 saw the start of the Cultural Revolution in China on May 14, initiated by Mao Zedong. This socio-political movement aimed to preserve Chinese communism by purging remnants of capitalist and traditional elements from Chinese society. Bloodbath, but also initially making huge inroads to combat inequality, both in land holdings and educational access.
Where are we in 2026? China’s Xi Jing Ping is certainly not as despotic as Mao, but also not as open to relative freedoms as his own father was, choosing a middle path. One can look at repression under his leadership and the fraught issue of Taiwan, but also at long-term planning that takes into account scientific knowledge, climate change and so on, securing economic stability for billions of people.
Other major shifts in governments abroad: Indira Ghandi was elected as Prime Minister in 1966. Tough maneuvers to get into and then stay in power, with a focus on nationalism as well as leftist politics of redistribution of wealth. In 2026 we have Narendra Modi whose right-wing leadership has led to a resurgence in Hindu nationalism, taking away the autonomy of Kashmir in 2019, and relentless democratic backsliding in the following years.
Closer to home: 1966 saw an increased engagement in the Vietnam war and concomitant protests. It also saw a variety of legislative actions benefiting Americans: Lyndon B. Johnson’s presidency created significant domestic policies, including the Great Society programs aimed at eliminating poverty and racial injustice.
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s ‘Letter from Birmingham Jail’ was published. It became a seminal text in the American civil rights movement.
Medicare was officially implemented. The Freedom of Information Act was signed into law, promoting transparency in government.
We joined the United Nations International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. These covenants are key international treaties that outline fundamental human rights and freedoms, establishing standards for all nations.
The National Organization for Women (NOW) was founded on June 30, 1966, and aimed to advocate for women’s rights and equality, addressing issues such as workplace discrimination and reproductive rights.
The Endangered Species Act was signed into law on December 28, 1966, marking a significant step in wildlife conservation efforts in the United States. This legislation aimed to protect species at risk of extinction.
And last, but not least, the Cuban Adjustment Act was signed by President Lyndon B. Johnson. This legislation aimed to provide a pathway for Cuban refugees to adjust their status.
2026: Measures to improve or protect the rights of women and racial minorities are actively rescinded, under the guise of DEI hostility. Reproductive rights and voting rights are under particularly vicious attacks. I had written about the SAVE act earlier, but remember, if ratified it will make it harder for married women, poor people, students and native Americans to vote. Millions of them.
We have numerous instances where healthcare is endangered through the new bills that Congress and the President established, with Medicare a likely target for further restrictions.
We have withdrawn from the UN covenants.
We have limited or eviscerate the Endangered Species act.
We are blockading Cuba (while ICE is rounding up Cubans in Florida) to the point where we are accused of human rights violations by the international community.
Can some Fire Horse please gallop in to promote significant directional change for the rest of 2026????
In the meantime there is always the natural beauty of the garden, camellias, plum blossoms and paper bush in bloom. There are also many events scheduled (see the garden’s website) including light shows and miniature horses on site to be admired by the kiddos.
Music today: Dmitri Shostakovich completed his Cello Concerto No. 2 in 1966, matching the mood of our times.
Happy New Year of the Fire Horse!