(Minghui.org) The Presidents’ Day parade was held in Alexandria, Virginia, on February 15, 2025 to celebrate the 293rd birthday of George Washington, the founding father of the United States. This was the third year practitioners participated in the local Presidents’ Day parade and they introduced Falun Dafa and its principles of Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance. The Falun Dafa team received unanimous praise from the judges and was awarded first place by the parade judges in the Adult Marching Bands category.

Parade Organizing Committee Chair Thanks Practitioners

Ms. Sue Johnson, Chair of the George Washington Birthday Celebration Committee (GWBCC), thanked Mr. Huang, the leader of the Falun Dafa parade team, after the parade ended. She said, “I can’t tell you how glad we are that you marched in the George Washington Birthday Parade this year! Despite the gloomy weather, your parade unit marched with great spirit and was one of the star performances of the day!

“In fact, I’m very happy to inform you that the Falun Dafa Association of Washington D.C. was awarded First Place by the parade judges in the Adult Marching Bands category! Congratulations on your award, and we look forward to having you march in our 2026 parade, which will celebrate the nation’s 250th anniversary!”

Falun Dafa practitioners participated in the Presidents’ Day parade in Alexandria, Virginia, on February 15.

Despite the rain, the parade still attracted many residents and tourists. The historic Presidents’ Day celebration shows the city cherishes tradition. Presidents' Day in the United States was established in 1885. Since 1971, Presidents' Day has changed from February 22 to the third Monday in February, which is also a federal holiday.

Alexandria is more than 200 years old. There are colonial buildings with unique characteristics along the streets of the old town. President Washington’s former home, Mount Vernon, is also located near this city. The local Presidents' Day parade is the largest and oldest celebration of President Washington’s birthday in the United States.

Falun Dafa practitioners were invited to participate in this year’s Presidents' Day parade again, and they were also the only Chinese group in the parade. Practitioners’ float, which won the first place award in the 2021 parade, also appeared in this Presidents' Day parade. The waist drum team composed of New York Falun Gong practitioners was warmly welcomed by the people along the way.

When the practitioners’ team passed the rostrum, the judges and guests on the stage applauded and cheered.

The moderator introduced them, “Falun Dafa, is an ancient traditional practice to improve mind, body and spirit. It has four sets of slow-moving exercises plus a seated meditation. It is based on the principles of Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forebearance. People who practice regularly find it brings them better physical & mental health, reduced stress & anxiety, increased level of energy & vitality, inner peace, and deepened morals. Falun Dafa was first taught publicly in China in 1992 by Mr. Li Hongzhi. Falun Dafa is now practiced in more than100 countries worldwide, and the teachings have been translated to over 50 languages. For more info, please visit falundafa.org.”

Judges and invited guests on the viewing stage applaud as practitioners pass by.

Spectators Admire the Practitioners’ Team

Many people praised the practitioners’ team, and some said their uplifting music and drums brought joy and positive energy to the parade.

A woman said, “The performance is wonderful! They worked well together and smiled. In the gloomy and wet weather, their performance was still so great!”

Many people praised the practitioners’ team.

A man who saw Falun Dafa practitioners’ waist drum performance for the first time said, “I really like their colors, costumes, style, and atmosphere. It’s great!” When he learned that Chinese waist drums have a history of more than one thousand years, he was surprised and said, “Wow, it’s longer than the history of the United States!”

Gunner, a local resident, watched the parade with Mia. He said, “I really like the Falun Dafa team and their drums. The floats are beautiful and really great. We really enjoy the drums.”

Local residents Gunner and Mia watch the parade.

Hope More People Learn About Falun Dafa

Practitioners took a group photo at the Presidents' Day parade on February 15.

Ms. Li, a member of the waist drum team from New York, said that in order to participate in the parade, she set out from home at 3 a.m. and caught the bus from Flushing to Virginia at 7 a.m.

“Although the weather was cold, I was full of enthusiasm along the way. I didn’t feel cold at all,” Ms. Li said with a smile.

Ms. Wu from New York brought her two children to participate in the Presidents' Day Parade. For her, this was not only a celebration, but also an opportunity to introduce Falun Dafa to people.

Ms. Wu said, “One of the founding purposes of the United States is to protect religious freedom, and Falun Dafa has been persecuted by the Chinese Communist Party for many years in China.” During the parade, she walked beside the team and distributed Falun Gong fliers to people who stood along the road. She said she wants to let people know about Falun Dafa.

Although the parade was affected by the weather, the strong community spirit and patriotic atmosphere could still be felt that day. Many residents participated, unwilling to miss this annual event.

“This parade is not only a celebration of Washington’s birthday, but also a festival that unites the community’s traditions,” a resident said. “Even in such weather, we can still see so many people coming to participate. This is the spirit of Alexandria.”