(Minghui.org) In New Zealand, Falun Dafa practitioners’ Tian Guo Marching Band, dragon dancers, and waist drum team participated in four Christmas parades on November 23 and 24, 2024. Their performances were well received by spectators and won rounds of applause.
The parades were held in the center of Auckland, in Auckland’s northern suburb of Orewa, in the southern suburb of Onehunga, and in Christchurch. The largest was the Farmers Santa Parade in Auckland. Known as the City of Sails, Auckland is home to one third of New Zealand’s population. Thousands of people lined the streets at noon on November 24 as over 200 groups followed the 1.6-kilometer (.9-mile) parade route.
Practitioners participated in the Farmers Santa Parade in Auckland on November 24.
The Tian Guo Marching Band and dragon dance delighted spectators watching the Christmas Parade in Orewa on November 23.
Practitioners participated in the Christmas parades in Onehunga near Auckland and Christchurch.
Event Coordinator: Our Society Needs the Principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance
Coordinator Tyler Reid (first on left) said she liked the Tian Guo Marching Band.
As spectators applauded with enthusiasm, coordinator Tyler Reid complimented the practitioners on their costumes and said the Tian Guo Marching Band’s music was excellent.
She was happy to hear about the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance and said they are what our society needs. She thanked practitioners for participating in the event and contributing to the community.
Relaxation and Peace
Dancer Monica (first on left) said she was impressed by practitioners’ costumes and music.
Monica, who was with a Colombian dance group in Auckland, was very interested when she heard that the members of Tian Guo Marching Band practice Falun Dafa and that they meditate. She said she also meditated and that it brought her inner peace and relaxed her.
Monica said she thought the Tian Guo Marching Band’s costumes were spectacular and their music was great. She said it was wonderful that so many band members were able to cooperate and play so well together. She thanked practitioners for their participation and said everything was outstanding.
Spectators: The Values We Should Cherish
Radhesh and Sadhana said they appreciated Falun Dafa practitioners’ message.
Radhesh and his wife Sadhana were delighted to see Falun Dafa practitioners in the parade. Sadhana said the Tian Guo Marching Band’s costumes were superb and the music was extraordinary. She said they brought positive energy to the festivity. It was a “perfect combination,” said Radhesh.
Sadhana said she thought Falun Dafa’s principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance help us understand who we are and can guide us, that it takes courage to stay true to these principles, but they are important. She hopes future generations will follow them.
Isa Flak enjoyed the Tian Guo Marching Band.
Isa Flak said she’d seen the Tian Guo Marching Band in the past and was always touched by the music. She liked the costumes and said the music was uplifting, that all these elements worked together in harmony. Knowing the principles practitioners lived by, she could see their courage and kindness.
Organizer: A Better World
Laura Hulbert said the world needs more kindness.
When practitioners marched in the parade in Onehunga on November 23, organizer Laura Hulbert thanked them for bringing color, music, and energy to the celebration.
Having been an organizer for six years, Hulbert said she was especially drawn to the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance and, “agreed with them one hundred percent.” After living through the COVID pandemic, she believed even more that people need kindness: “Our society will fall apart otherwise. That’s why we need more people who are kind.”
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