THE LUNAR NEW YEAR
The Lunar New Year, otherwise known as the Chinese New Year is a Chinese festival celebrating the beginning of a New Year on the traditional Chinese calendar. In 2019, the Chinese New Year fell on the 5th of February and initiated the Year of the Pig.
Celebrations for the Chinese New Year took place at Shangri La at 11.28 am, the auspicious time for the start of the new year, with a Lion Dance. The Lion Dance is a form of traditional dance in China and during the Chinese New Year, the lion dance troupes perform the custom of ‘cai ging’ (plucking the greens), where the lion plucks the auspicious green lettuce hung above to get the red envelope containing a reward.
The lion dance is believed to bring good luck and fortune to the business. The Lion Dance started off in front of the hotel doors and proceeded to the hotel lobby where the lion dance troupe entertained guests that have gathered to watch the show. Celebrations then proceeded to the ‘Yu Sheng’, or the most commonly known, ‘Prosperity Toss’ at the lobby. The tradition involves communally tossing raw fish salad with chopsticks while shouting good luck wishes for the year. The dish includes various components such as shredded carrots, winter melon, dried orange, onion, ginger and raw fish which is then mixed together with sesame seeds, peanuts and crackers along with a special 5 spices mix and plum sauce. It is believed that the higher you toss the ingredients the more luck you bring in!
General Manager of Shangri La Colombo Timothy Wright along with his staff initiated the prosperity toss while shouting well wishes for the new year. Guests were also invited to take part in the prosperity toss and the tossed Yu Sheng was offered to all at the lobby.
Shangri La also put out some stunning décor for the celebrations and included the Ang Pao Wishing Tree which is also a tradition associated with the Chinese New Year where villagers would wish upon the wishing trees as it is believed to bring good luck and prosperity.
Shangri La allowed guests to experience the tradition of the red envelope, which is a festive gesture of appreciation, where guests dining in the hotel’s restaurants receive special offers and surprises when they reach a bill value of Rs. 28,000 or more.
If there was ever a place to celebrate the dawn of the Lunar New Year, it was most definitely Shangri La Colombo with their stunning décor and the following of the Chinese traditions.