Valentine’s Day in China

It is really difficult to know the exact time     1     western Valentine’s Day was introduced into China. However, western Valentine’s Day is     2     (wide) celebrated in urban areas where there are a lot of commercial (商业的) events, especially in big cities like Shanghai, Beijing, Hong Kong and Guangzhou. Valentine’s Day is not so popular in small cities,     3     (town) and the countryside.

So far, Chinese people     4     (accept) the tradition westerners on celebrating Valentine’s Day, such as     5     (exchange) gifts, having a romantic dinner, watching a movie in the evening or even making a marriage registration if Valentine’s Day falls on a workday.

On this day, larger amounts of chocolate will be on sale in supermarkets,     6     compared with the ordinary days, cinemas will be much     7     (busy) and the price of flowers and restaurants and hotels can be a lot higher. Many restaurants will have special menus, especially those in Hong Kong, Beijing and Shanghai. If you want to have a smooth     8     (celebrate) on Valentine’s Day, remember     9     (make) reservations (预定) as far in advance as you can.

Chinese people have also made some changes to the western way of celebrating Valentine’s Day. For some couples, the husband may prepare a rich dinner or buy a beautiful dress     10     his wife on this day to show his appreciation.

7 . The annual South Boston St. Patrick’s Day parade will be held on Sunday, March 17, beginning at 1 p.m. ET. This is the 119th-annual parade for the historically-Irish city, and always falls on the Sunday closest to St. Patrick’s Day. This year, it luckily falls on the day of the holiday itself.

The Route

According to the Allied War Veterans Council, the parade will start at 1 p.m. at Broadway station and move up West Broadway. It will continue on East Broadway, take a right on P Street, then a right onto East Fourth Street.

From East Fourth Street, it will turn left onto K Street, then right onto East Fifth Street, where it will continue until taking a left onto G Street. It will stay left of South Boston High School to Thomas Park, and follow the park until it takes a left at Telegraph Street and another left to Dorchester Street. The parade will stay on Dorchester Street until its end in Andrew Square.

How to participate

If you’re local to the area or traveling especially to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day, you can, of course, attend the parade in person. But for everyone else, there are a few options on how to watch it live.

Local stations NBC10 Boston and NECN will air the parade on television or stream on various platforms starting at 1 p.m. ET, including on Peacock, Roku and on its YouTube channel.

USA TODAY is also providing coverage for the parade in Boston, as well as celebration in other U.S. cities over the weekend, including New York City and Chicago. You can watch the parade at the top of this page or on USA TODAY’s YouTube channel.