After 4,710 years, Chinese New Year has snowballed into one doozy of a party. The celebration has also become part of what it means to be Canadian, and communities across the country will honour and enjoy its rich traditions Monday (Jan. 23).
Chinese New Year is first and foremost a celebration of renewal, explained Kathy Gibler, executive director of the Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden in Vancouver.
In that spirit, its traditions revolve around repaying debts and repelling bad spirits to start off the new year with a clean slate, and welcome prosperity.
Each day has special traditions, such as sending off the kitchen god, decorating the house with flowers and fruits, or remembering departed relatives, explained Gibler.
Because China covers such a large area, traditional food varies widely, but in most households you can’t go wrong with fish, which symbolizes abundance, Gibler said. Potstickers and the myriad traditional pastries are also popular choices.
Many people decorate their homes and businesses with red good luck couplets — paper characters with meanings like good luck, long life and prosperity.
“It’s a really social time of year,” explained Gibler, who lived in China for six years. Many people make house visits to wish friends and family a happy new year, and red envelopes containing money are a common gift, especially for children.
When the clock strikes midnight on Chinese New Year’s Eve, the family runs outside to set off firecrackers and chase away bad luck that might be lingering from the year before.
“Chinese New Year is like Christmas for Canadians, eh?” explained Jun Ing, the parade marshal for Vancouver’s Chinese New Year parade.
In honour of the year of the water dragon, his parade will have three long dragons, each held up by many dancers.
The symbol of water in this year’s water dragon zodiac tempers the powerful, fiery nature of the dragon to make the water dragon less hotheaded and more peaceful, while still remaining strong, explained Gibler.
The lion dance will also make an appearance with its upbeat gong and drum accompaniment, said Ing. He is overseeing more than 14 lion dance teams in the parade this year.
Since its inception 39 years ago, the Vancouver Chinese New Year parade has grown incredibly and taken on a multicultural flavour. Now, many different groups participate, including Special Olympians and Korean martial artists and dancers, Ing explained.
“It’s the Canadian way of doing it.”
Find your sign
Dragon
Born in 1952, 1964, 1976, 1988, 2000, 2012
Dragons prefer to live by their own rules and, if left on their own, are usually successful. They are driven, unafraid of challenges, and willing to take risks.
Snake
Born in 1953, 1965, 1977, 1989, 2001, 2013
The Snake symbolizes such character traits as intelligence, gracefulness and materialism.
Horse
Born in 1954, 1966, 1978, 1990, 2002, 2014
The Horse symbolizes character traits as strength, energy, and an outgoing nature.
Sheep
Born in 1955, 1967, 1979, 1991, 2003, 2015
The Sheep symbolizes such character traits as creativity, intelligence, dependability, and calmness.
Monkey
Born in 1956, 1968, 1980, 1992, 2004, 2016
The Monkey possesses character traits as curiosity, mischievousness, and cleverness.
Rooster
Born in 1957, 1969, 1981, 1993, 2005, 2017
The Rooster symbolizes such character traits as confidence, pompousness and motivation.
Dog
Born in 1958, 1970, 1982, 1994, 2006, 2018
The Dog symbolizes character traits such as loyalty, compatibility and kindness.
Pig
Born in 1959, 1971, 1983, 1995, 2007, 2019
The Pig symbolizes such character traits as diligence, compassion, and generosity.
Rat
Born in 1948, 1960, 1972, 1984, 1996, 2008, 2020
The Rat symbolizes such character traits as wit, imagination and curiosity.
Ox
Born in 1949, 1961, 1973, 1985, 1997, 2009, 2021
Oxen possess such character traits as dependability, strength and determination.
Tiger
Born in 1950, 1962, 1974, 1986, 1998, 2010, 2022
The Tiger symbolizes such character traits as bravery, competitiveness and unpredictability.
Rabbit
Born in 1951, 1963, 1975, 1987, 1999, 2011, 2023
The Rabbit symbolizes such character traits as creativity, compassion, and sensitivity.
