Chinese New Year in Springfield, MO

A taste of the East
Clad in a pink silky Chinese dress embroidered with plum blossoms, Marissa Hope Langguth was in her element Saturday.

"I like it — the lights, the decorations, and the food," said the Chinese girl, 8, standing in the atrium of First & Calvary Presbyterian Church.

There, red lanterns were hung high, red couplets with auspicious Chinese characters adorned entryways, and lucky bamboos and fresh tangerines were the centerpiece on dining tables.

More than 60 local families with adopted children — most from China — celebrated the Lunar New Year, also known as the Chinese New Year and the Spring Festival, on its eve. They welcomed the Chinese Year of the Pig, which begins today.