HAPPY CHINESE NEW YEAR
Ringing in the Year of the Dog
It’s the Year of the Dog and it was celebrated at Devonshire Mall on Sunday with a showcase of Lunar Chinese New Year traditions and cultural performances from the Essex County Chinese Canadian Association.
“It signifies the person born this particular year is very intelligent, generous and happy,” said Stephen Tsui, association president. “That’s the symbolic thing for this year.”
In Chinese astrology, each year in a 12-year cycle relates to a Chinese zodiac animal. Other years of the dog include 1934, 1946, 1958, 1970, 1982, 1994, 2006, 2018 and 2030.
The Dog occupies the eleventh position in the Chinese zodiac after the Rooster and before the Pig. The Chinese New Year starts with the New moon on the first day of the first lunar month and ends on the full moon 15 days later. Tsui said this is the fourth year the celebrations have been held at the mall, and each year, the display grows in popularity.
He said having the celebrations at the mall gives the public a chance to experience and understand what Chinese New Year entails and some of the different customs and traditions.
Tsui said one of the most important New Year customs is for married couples to give red packets of lucky money called “laysee” to unmarried relatives, especially children. Older family members must also give lucky money to all those who are younger in the family including those who are married. “The packets are just really a symbol of luck and happiness,” Tsui said.
Of course, no New Year celebration would be complete without the tradition of the parading of the Chinese dragon which weaved its way around the mall on Sunday. Other highlights included the Chinese costume parade, Chinese instruments and a folk dance performance. There was lots of traditional Chinese food on hand for people to sample. A Chinese calligraphy station was also set up for people to try the art of writing Chinese characters with a brush. “Writing Chinese calligraphy is a big part of our tradition,” he said. “People write something nice like Happy New Year, or Happy Year of Dog or Good Health, it’s a wellwishes writing. So people will write their message and then go home and paste it up somewhere for a healthy and happy year.”