Happy New Year, Chinese style
We have celebrated the Jewish New Year and the secular New Year according to the Gregorian calendar. But, if you are hungry for yet more festivities, get ready for the Chinese New Year.
It falls on F e b r u a r y 10 this year, based on a combination of the lunar and solar calendars.
Chinese years are named after animals, so it’s out with the year of the dragon, and in with the year of the snake.
The event, also known as Spring Festival or Lunar New Year, is the most important festival in the Chinese calendar. It starts on the day of the new moon and traditional celebrations include firecrackers, dancing dragons and the giving of money in red enevelopes (red is the colour of luck). It all ends 15 days later with the Lantern festival on February 24. In Hong Kong, there
will be firework displays at Victoria Harbour, the traditional night parade, flower markets open all night, and horse racing at the Sha Tin racecourse.
In Beijing, the Temple Fair hosts the Peking Opera, acrobatics and tea culture displays.
If you really want to get into the spirit, you can greet Chinese friends by saying gong xi fa cai, which means “wishing you prosperity”.
If you can’t get to China, then head to Trafalgar Square on February 10 where there will be a celebration and a stage performance.
Community groups will be giving a second stage peformance on Shaftesbury Avenue. Of course, Chinatown is at the very heart of the New Year party. Traditional craft and food stalls will line the streets and there will be a lion dance that will snake through the crowds.
www.chinatownlondon.org