CNN PRODUCER NOTE     montebubbles has celebrated Chinese New Year since she was a child, and this year was no different, as she attended festivities in Los Angeles. 'It always meant good Chinese food, red envelopes with money, firecrackers and hopefully seeing a parade,' she said. She described this year's parade in vivid detail: 'The lion dances with the drum playing and firecrackers are to ward off evil spirits. Shooting confetti in the air in some spots ankle deep. Children become active participants in the Chinese New Year parade whether in the parade or celebrating curbside dressed in Chinese clothes and playing with confetti. You see families of multi-generations all together celebrating the New Year.' See more photos of the parade from a different perspective or check out some snapshots from the celebrations in New York.

This iReport was featured in the February iReport for CNN program on CNN International.
- zdan, CNN iReport producer