Captain's Message
Chris Canning
Hello Richmond District Residents and Merchants,
Happy New Year everyone! As we go into the New Year, the Richmond Station newsletter will go from a weekly publication, to every other week, so the next newsletter will be January 19th. This change reflects the shortage in staffing facing the Department, and our commitment to maximizing the number of officers out patrolling the streets, and responding to calls.
Chinese New Year, the festival that celebrates the beginning of a new year on the traditional lunisolar and solar Chinese calendar, is on Sunday, January 22nd, this year. Chinese New Year 2023 is a Year of the Rabbit, more specifically, Water Rabbit.
The Chinese New Year is associated with several customs. The festival is traditionally a time to honor deities as well as ancestors. The evening preceding the New Year's Day is frequently regarded as an occasion for families to gather for the annual reunion dinner. It is also a tradition for every family to thoroughly clean their house, in order to sweep away any ill fortune, and to make way for incoming good luck. Another custom is the decoration of windows and doors with red paper-cuts and couplets. Popular themes include good fortune or happiness, wealth, and longevity. Other traditions include lighting firecrackers and giving money in red paper envelopes.
- Captain Chris Canning
