Sunday marks the start of the Lunar New Year, but special events begin Saturday in Victoria and Nanaimo.
Expect to hear people wishing each other “Kong Hei Fat Choy” as they celebrate the beginning of the Year of the Rabbit, one of 12 astrological animals in the Chinese zodiac.
You may also notice more red decorations in shop windows and people wearing a piece of red clothing, as the colour is supposed to bring luck.
Students of the Wong Sheung Kung Fu Club have been rehearsing their lion dance routines in the weeks and days leading up to this important cultural event.
The club was founded in 1974. Its students will take to the street to give public lion dance performances on Saturday and Sunday.
You can catch their act at 12:30 p.m. Saturday beside Starbucks at Uptown Mall, 3440 Saanich Rd., and at 8 p.m. Sunday at Elements Casino, 1708 Island Hwy. (age 19-plus only).
The group is also set to be the main attraction Sunday, Jan. 29 at an event to mark the new year hosted by the Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association, at the Gate of Harmonious Interest at the entrance to Victoria’s Chinatown on Fisgard Street, from noon to 3:30 p.m.
The club will perform a routine with 10 lions — the largest number ever for the club. Afterward, two lions will go door-to-door among participating businesses in Chinatown, bringing luck and prosperity wherever they go.
At the Victoria Chinatown Museum, four new information panels are on display to explain the significance of the Lunar New Year.
Charlayne Thornton-Joe, a third-generation Chinese-Canadian and the museum’s visitor experience and facilities co-ordinator, said visitors on Saturday can taste lychee, an Asian fruit.
On Sunday, they will be greeted by volunteers dressed up in white rabbit costumes handing out lucky red envelopes. They will also have the opportunity to sample Nian Gao, or New Year Cake.
The museum’s current exhibitions include First Steps: Chinese Canadian Journeys in Victoria and Gold Mountain Dream.
The former, produced by Chinese Canadian Museum in co-operation with Victoria Chinatown Museum Society, highlights the history of Chinese Canadians in Victoria.
Gold Mountain Dream, produced by the Royal sa国际传媒 Museum in collaboration with the Canadian Museum of History, examines the personal stories of Chinese migrant workers who came to sa国际传媒 during the Fraser Valley Gold Rush in the 1850s.
The museum is open 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday to Sunday at 10-14 Fan Tan Alley.
For more information, go to .
Those living in Nanaimo can partake in a Lunar New Year dinner gala co-hosted by the Nanaimo Chinese Cultural Society and the Nanaimo Chinese Freemasons Society at Beban Park Social Centre on Saturday.
The cultural event, which has been held for more than a decade, is an opportunity to watch local artistic groups performing traditional Chinese dance, a Kung Fu display, singing and storytelling.
After the show, attendees can enjoy an Asian-style buffet put on by local restaurants.
Tickets for the event run from $48 to $78. Children under three are free, but must sit on a parent’s lap.
The event runs 4 to 7 p.m. Jan. 21 at the Beban Park Social Centre, 2300 Bowen Rd., Nanaimo.
For tickets, go to .
parrais@timescolonist
