On the evening of December 13th, the annual Christmas tree lighting parade took place in Long Beach, Long Island, New York. Crowds of people filled the streets to watch the festivities. The Falun Dafa Waist Drum Team participated once again, offering Christmas greetings to the residents and spreading joy and blessings of “Falun Dafa.” The audience erupted in cheers and applause, creating wave after wave of excitement.
Along the main commercial street, W Beech St., in Long Beach, buildings and trees were adorned with colorful lights. Residents wore strings of lights around their necks and on their hats, and the vehicles in the parade were dazzling with a variety of colors, bringing light and warmth to the cold winter night.
Despite the temperature dropping below zero degrees Celsius that night, residents’ enthusiasm was not dampened. People gathered from all directions to W Beech St., filling the streets with excitement. The atmosphere was electric, especially with the children being particularly thrilled.
The Falun Dafa Waist Drum Team, dressed in bright goose-yellow traditional costumes with pink ribbons tied around their waists and drumsticks, performed energetically. They played “Falun Dafa Is Good”, “March of the New China”, and Christmas carols like “Jingle Bells,” with powerful drumbeats that lifted spirits. The lively cheers and applause from the spectators along the route were continuous and enthusiastic.
After each performance, the cheers from the sidelines grew louder, and the crowd followed the rhythm, swaying and praising the team: “Fantastic!”, “I love them!”, “I look forward to seeing them every year!”, “I wait for their arrival every year!”
During an interview, an elderly man named William expressed his appreciation, saying, “We love them! We love that they come every holiday season. Thank you for sharing your professional performance and waist drumming with us. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!”
A creative aspect of the Waist Drum Team’s performance was when they turned to face the audience on both sides of the street at the most crowded spots, enhancing the excitement of the scene. The scene could be described as building to a crescendo.
Ms. Li, the coordinator of the Waist Drum Team, said, “This is the first time we tried giving the audience a ‘presidential treatment,’ turning their enthusiasm up to the extreme. They cheered for us, an interaction we’ve never experienced before. A team member from New Zealand had never seen such a large audience, nor witnessed such enthusiasm and love from the spectators. She said she was moved to tears!”
Ms. Li beats the drum, a vital role in the Waist Drum Team. Despite the weight of the drum, she exclaims, “I put all my strength into it, getting more and more excited. In my heart, I thought, I must strike the drum the loudest, with the strongest rhythm, to lead the whole team. During the parade, I saw some audience members imitating my drumming and the drummers’ movements. We brought out their positive energy too!”
Ms. Li mentioned, “The Waist Drum Team is delighted to bring joy to this annual traditional family gathering. In today’s chaotic and turbulent world, the team hopes to bring the residents the beauty of ‘Truthfulness, Compassion, Tolerance,’ the joy of the holidays, and blessings of Falun Dafa!”
Furthermore, among the parade participants, there was a Shen Yun promotional vehicle playing a preview of the 2026 Shen Yun performance, shining magnificently and dazzling the entire audience.