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There are many ways to ring in the Year of the Dragon in Toronto. Some events kick off on Friday and the celebration continues for two weeks.
Vince Talotta/TORONTO STAR file photo Come Sunday, millions of families worldwide will come together to feast and celebrate as the dragon breathes life into the new year.
It’s the Year of the Water Dragon — the only mystical creature in Chinese astrology, a creature that stirs excitement among Chinese zodiac followers for its strength, luck, intensity and vitality.
“The dragon is very important. It’s majestic, a sign of authority,” said Angela Chan, vice-president of Toronto’s Chinese Cultural Centre. “We hope that in the year of the dragon, the economy will pick up.”
Though often called Chinese New Year, the annual celebration (also called the Lunar New Year or Spring Festival) is celebrated by Vietnamese, Korean and other Asian populations worldwide. It’s tied to the lunar-solar Chinese calendar and falls on different days every year.
The marathon 15-day celebration is a time of renewal and well-wishing, of spending time with family, feasting and giving thanks.
RECIPE: Chinese New Year e-fu noodles
Customs and traditions vary by location, but most families will gather on New Year’s Eve — this year on Sunday — to clean house, feast on dumplings and set off fireworks to usher in the New Moon.
Homes are often cleaned and decorated with blossoming flowers (they symbolize new life), tangerines and candy trays — all intended to bring good fortune and happiness in the year to come
“There’s a lot of preparation involved,” said Hong Kong-born Chan, who has continued to uphold New Year traditions since moving to Canada more than 20 years ago.
Then on Monday, New Year’s Day, elders will present the family’s young generation with red paper pockets (lai see in Cantonese) stuffed with lucky money.
Dr. David Chuenyan Lai, a now-retired University of Victoria geography and Asia-Pacific studies professor, remembers Chinese New Year as a child in Hong Kong. The young Lai would wake up first thing on New Year’s Day and kneel before his elders.
“Wishing you prosperity (Gung hay fat choy in Cantonese),” he would say, receiving lai see in return.
“It’s all about family,” said Lai, who still lives in Victoria.
Historically, Chinese New Year celebrations involve 15 days of honouring the household, family ancestors and the gods. It’s a food- and family-centric holiday, celebrated with traditional feasts, often involving whole fish, chicken and uncut noodles.
Celebrations traditionally end with a lantern festival, hand-painted lanterns often suspended from home windows or carried in procession beneath the full moon.
In China, the new year means millions of people will board planes and trains homeward bound to eat, relax and spend time with family. It’s one of the busiest travel times of the year, said Lai.
In Canada and other countries devoid of New Year vacation time, Chinese communities have had to adapt their holiday traditions.
Dr. Ping-Chun Hsiung, a University of Toronto sociology professor, said she observes the first two days of Chinese New Year, arguably the festival’s most important days, by reuniting with family members for a feast.
She hangs red and gold good-luck banners — called Hui Chin and traditionally hand-decorated with Chinese script — in her doorway for good luck.
Elsewhere in Toronto, where Canada’s largest Chinese diaspora resides, numerous events are planned, from Chinatown walking tours, to dance performances and banquets.
THE DRAGON
The mystical dragon rears its ferocious, fire-breathing head in the Chinese calendar once every 12 years, its last appearance at the turn of the millennium. It’s the epitome of power, nobility and perseverance, tracing back to early Chinese mythology.
Countless Chinese dragon legends run through ancient Chinese history. Some say the dragon’s symbolic origins trace back to a mythical Chinese emperor thousands of years ago who conquered all other tribes and created the creature — with the eyes of a demon, the horns of a stag, the claws of an eagle, the neck of a snake and the tail of a scorpion.
The dragon, the guardian of the east, has become a symbol of the Chinese people and a symbol of luck and good fortune, said Paul Ng, a computer scientist-turned-international feng shui master who lives in Richmond Hill.
In Chinese astrology, the Year of the Dragon is by far the luckiest.
“With the dragon, there will be a lot of energy and excitement in the coming year,” said Ng.
Those born in the Year of the Dragon are expected to have long, healthy and wealthy lives. The Dragon will bring positive change, intensity and unpredictability in 2012, predicted Ng.
“Economically speaking, the world will do better. There will be prosperity. And here will be lots of change, many heads of state will change,” he said. “One thing is for sure, the world is not going to end.”
LOCAL EVENTS
• CIBC Lunarfest: Walk through a giant lantern aquarium at Toronto’s Harbourfront Centre. Lunarfest includes a contemporary showcase of Asian art, puppet shows, workshops, traditional New Year’s games and culinary treats. Friday until Tuesday. Admission is free.
• Chinese New Year celebration at Scarborough Civic Centre: Performances include Lion Dance & Dragon dance, a variety of folk and classical dances performed by young dancers, singing and martial arts. Jan. 29, 2-4 p.m. Admission is free.
• Chinese New Year community celebration at the Chinese Cultural Centre, Scarborough: Sunday, noon-3 p.m. Admission is free.
• Chinese Cultural Centre Year of the Dragon banquet: Bring friends and family to the Chinese Cultural Centre’s banquet. Jan. 29, dinner at 7 p.m. Tickets $45/$60.
• Chinatown Foodies Walk: Hosted by the Taste of the World’s culinary historian Shirley Lum, the event features dim sum and tours of a grocery store and Chinese bakery. Saturday, Sunday, Jan 28-29, Feb. 4-5, 10 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Adult admission $45, seniors and students $40, children 12 and under $30.
• The Year of the Dragon events at Markham’s Pacific Mall: New Year’s Eve countdown Sunday at 10:30 p.m. New Year’s Day celebration Monday at 3 p.m. Lion dance performances Jan. 28 at 12:30 p.m.
CHINESE NEW YEAR DO’S & DON’TS:
While Chinese New Year customs vary widely, here are a few traditional superstitions to keep in mind:
DO clean your house before New Year’s Eve to rid of the previous year’s bad luck.
DON’T sweep or clean your house on New Year’s Day (this could sweep away good fortune).
DON’T wash your hair on New Year’s Day.
DO wear reds and yellows, bright and happy colours that will bring good fortune.
DON’T curse or speak of death. This could bring bad luck.
DON’T use scissors or knives on New Year’s Day (this could cut off good fortune).
DO settle your debts before the New Year.
DO eat whole fish (abundance), chicken (prosperity) and dumplings (health and fortune).
DON’T cut noodles (they represent long life).
DON’T cry on New Year’s Day or you could end up crying for the rest of the year.
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