Charles and Camilla mark Year of the Tiger with hopes for harmony
THE PRINCE of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall joined Lunar New Year celebrations yesterday to mark the start of the Year of the Tiger.
Charles and Camilla were welcomed to London’s Soho district, the spiritual home of the capital’s Chinese community, for the colourful event.
The couple had red scarves placed around their necks when they first arrived– with the colour symbolising luck, joy, and happiness for the Chinese communities.
A traditional dragon dance was performed by acrobatic performers in the open air as hundreds gathered for the celebrations.
The Lunar New Year – beginning on February 1 – is the start of a two-week celebration and is the most important
holiday for millions of people around the world.
During the festival, homes are festooned with red paper lanterns and families gather to share sumptuous feasts, enjoying symbolic dishes such
as dumplings, representing gold ingots, and noodles, denoting long life.
Ahead of the start of the Lunar New Year, Charles issued a message to those in China and across the globe marking the event. He urged the world to create a better future for the next generation by living and working in “harmony with nature and the planet”.
Charles said: “As we enter the Year of The Tiger, known for courageous action and rising to challenge and adventure, I hope the whole world will make this a year of action.
“Together let’s create a better future for all our children by shifting the way we live and work to be in harmony with nature and the planet.”
The Lunar New Year in 2020 was one of the first events to be affected by coronavirus, then a newly identified disease.
In January 2020, the Year of the Rat, said to symbolise fertility, reproduction and wealth, it was marked by many families under lockdown.