Lunar New Year

The Lunar New Year starts on January 25 and lasts for about 15 days. It is the year of the metal rat according to the Chinese horoscope. I lived in Hongkong for 8 years and I remember receiving lai see (red envelopes) at work. I always had a flight on this day because a lot of Hongkong crew members would request vacations during this time.

During those flights, Cathay Pacific would serve special chocolates in the meal. Unfortunately, since I always worked on that day, I had not seen a lion dance till we moved to Canada. The lion dance is performed to bring prosperity and good luck to the new year.

Metropolis at Metrotown in Burnaby always holds a traditional lion dance. This year it will be held on January 29 at 10:00am. My family was in the mall today and there were already celebrations going on, like a traditional songs and dances from different performers. Check their website at https://metropolisatmetrotown.com/en/events/lunar-new-year-celebrations-2020/ for more lunar celebrations.

In Vancouver, there is a Chinese New Year Parade in Chinatown on Sunday, January 26, 2020 from 11:00 until 1:30 pm. For details, check https://www.cbavancouver.ca/ .

Sesame Sticks

In the Philippines, the Chinese community also celebrates the lunar new year. Our family always received "tikoy", which means "sweet cake" in Chinese. It is the most popular treat during this time of the year. This year, I got sesame sticks at T&T supermarket and they taste delicious.

Kung hei fat choi!