SOCCA Presents “Year of the Ox” Celebration Virtually Southern Oregon Chinese Cultural Association (SOCCA) has scheduled this year’s Chinese New Year celebration in Jacksonville, Oregon for Saturday, Feb.13, 2021; 9:00am – 3:00pm. On that day, SOCCA will launch all of its celebratory events virtually from their website at www.socca.us. It will be the Year of the Metal-Ox, synonymously known as the “golden Ox”. The ox is noted for its steady, calm and hard-working demeanor and in the Chinese Zodiac the “golden Ox” portends a year of peace, prosperity and success. So says a traditional greeting, “it’s a new year, with new hope!” The Year of the Ox will be a year that brings new opportunities, success in business, and for families to affirm new relationships. Former mayor of Jacksonville and current City Council member Jim Lewis and his wife Gayle will kick off the virtual celebration as the Grand Marshals at 9AM. Four live programs, presented one time on this day only, will follow. They include two presentations by San Francisco’s Asian Art Museum; Everyday Life Stories of Early Chinese Oregonians presented by Southern Oregon University’s Laboratory of Anthropology; and an interactive family entertainment performed by award winning magician and balloon twister Perry Yan. These programs will require pre-registration online and attendance will remain available until enrollment is full. About a dozen “instant access” (no registration necessary) programs, including a cooking demonstration, children’s puppet show, the healing arts of Tai Chi and Qi Gong, local gold-mining history etc., can be accessed on demand throughout the day and thereafter. Thanks to the generous support from our sponsors, all programs are free. Please visit our website at www.socca.us for sponsor listing, program details, and to pre-register for the live presentations.