By Mike Dougherty

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) – Sunday kicked off the Chinese New Year. And Chinatown in Philadelphia held celebrations in honor of the year of the snake.

Large crowds lined 10th Street near Arch for the Suns Lion Dance Parade. Shops along the parade route were decorated with red envelopes and heads of lettuce, both symbols of good luck.

“It’s definitely getting more popular and bigger, so it’s really nice to see people getting more involved and learning about it and experiencing different cultures.”

Jenny from Philadelphia came with her friend Tao, who is part Chinese.

“Just like any other culture, it’s celebrating of a new year, a new beginning.”

“I just love it. I love that it brings all kinds of people out. I love the food, I love the colors. And I love celebrating with my best friend over here. We do it every year together.”

According to the Chinese Zodiac, the people born the year of the snake are smart and can be unscrupulous. Lucky colors are yellow and red. Snakes get along well with the ox and rooster, and are incompatible with the tiger and pig.