The annual parade returns for the Year of the Snake
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00:00Dancing Dragons aren't a common sight in Maidstone, but they've come down to welcome in Chinese New Year.
00:07Organised by Cohesion Plus in alliance with Maidstone Borough Council,
00:12the yearly celebration is all about welcoming cultural diversity in the area.
00:19And 2025 is the Year of the Snake.
00:23So when I think of the Year of the Snake, I think about hard work, I think about prosperity,
00:30I think about working in partnership and that's what the Year of the Snake reflects.
00:35And that also reflects the work that myself as an organisation, the work that Maidstone Borough Council is looking to do
00:40and obviously our partner Maidstone Cultural Group look to reflect.
00:44The Year of the Snake is a very special year.
00:46For those who are born under the Year of the Snake, they'll be self-reliant, resourceful,
00:51and they'll also have wisdom and charm. So that's quite a something to look up to, I think.
00:57Speaking with a local business and people at the event, I found out about what Lunar New Year means to them.
01:05It's a new beginning and it's also come around every year.
01:11So it's the biggest celebration in China.
01:16Yes, we're very excited here to put up the celebration for Maidstone.
01:21I think it's brilliant that everyone locally gets on board with cultural activity.
01:26Working at a nursery myself and obviously teaching these to grow up and be just as diverse as I am, basically.
01:34My girls are so happy now that they're older and they understand what we're celebrating.
01:39It was very fun and I loved the music. I really liked it, it was very fun.
01:45With the new year officially begun, I decided to see what my fortune would be.
01:51It wouldn't be Chinese New Year without one of these, a fortune cookie.
01:57So let's open it up and see what I get.
02:01What mine says, always begin with an end in mind.
02:05Don't know what that means yet, but I'm sure I'll find that out later this year.
02:09And hopefully, good luck will be with the rest of Kent too.
02:14Henry Luck for KMTV in Maidstone.