Photos: Miss Los Angeles Chinatown Pageant and Queen Wendy Shu

The Chinese New Year celebrations are just beginning, and they take their new year quite seriously. Starting on Jan. 31 the Chinese New Year launches with all things “horse”. But before the parades and festivals begin, the 49th annual Miss Los Angeles Chinatown Pageant takes place on January 18, 2014. Once a Queen is crowned, she and her court will appear in the festive, 115th Annual Golden Dragon Parade in Los Angeles Chinatown on February 1, 2014. When you live in California, home to America’s largest Asian population, you get to celebrate many cultures and events. There’s a full month of flower-buying, fireworks, dragon dancing, gifts, festivals and parades beginning now.

YEAR OF THE HORSE BIRTHDATES: 1930, 1942, 1954, 1966, 1978, 1990, 2002, 2014

30 Jan 1930 – 16 Feb 1931
15 Feb 1942 – 04 Feb 1943
3 Feb 1954 – 23 Jan 1955
21 Jan 1966 – 04 Feb 1967
7 Feb 1978 – 27 Jan 1979
27 Jan 1990 – 14 Feb 1991
12 Feb 2002 – 31 Jan 2003
31 Jan 2014 – 18 Feb 2015