EVERETT—Nearly 150 braved the snowy weather Saturday, February 1, to celebrate the Lunar New Year at the Port of Everett’s Waterfront Place.
This second annual event was hosted by the Port of Everett in partnership with Fisherman Jack’s and took place right outside the Hotel Indigo and Fisherman Jack’s restaurant.
Fisherman Jack’s gets its name from Jack Ng, who owns and operates the NGMA Group with his wife Jin Ma and used to be an Alaskan fisherman before entering the restaurant industry.
Jack was born in a small village outside of Canton, China. He, along with his family, immigrated to Anacortes in 1989. They worked hard as a family to learn the American way and eventually started their own family business. Jack learned how to work in restaurants all throughout high school, and continued his hard work being a fisherman in Dutch Harbor, Alaska. This experience and work ethic is what allowed Jack and his family to open their own extremely successful business. They have owned and operated three restaurants since 1999. This business achievement has now recently expanded to commercial real estate.
Attendees gathered at the Port’s Pacific Rim Plaza beginning at 3:30 p.m. – a place that pays tribute to the Port’s more than a century-long tie to international trade and includes elements that represent the Port’s key trading partners. There they hear some opening remarks by Port of Everett Commissioner Glen Bachman and Fisherman Jack’s owner Jack Ng.
David Leong of Northwest Kung Fu and Fitness followed Ng with a few words before presenting a traditional lion dance and martial arts demonstration. Lion dances were also performed at Fisherman Jack’s later in the day brining a burst of energy, vibrant colors, and rich tradition to the symbolic Pacific Rim Plaza which represents a longstanding history of international commerce in Everett.
Next, Representative Rick Larsen (WA-02) and Hotel Indigo owners Omar and Christine Lee took the stage to share some words of their own.
Lunar New Year 2025 kicked off on January 29 and is a 16-day long celebration of cultural tradition, family gatherings, and hopes for good fortune leading into the remainder of the year.
According to the Chinese lunar calendar 2025 marks the Year of the Snake, which symbolizes wisdom and transformation contrary to the previous year’s energetic and dynamic Dragon. The year of the snake is supposed to be an opportune time for personal growth and opportunity.
Lunar New Year, also sometimes called Chinese New Year, is observed by millions across the globe – especially in Asian countries – and changes by year according to the Gregorian Calendar. In addition to commemorating a change of year, Lunar New Year is a celebration of Spring ushering in a new age of rebirth.
Oftentimes the color red are used throughout Lunar New Year celebrations, as well as fireworks displays, to scare off the monster Nian who, according to legend, is scared of the color and loud noises. Firework displays are also meant to represent a victory over evil.
Author: Kienan Briscoe
