Often called the Lunar New Year by native Chinese and Taiwanese, the Chinese New Year is the turning of the year, beginning on the first day of the month and finishing on the 15th. A festival that is centuries old and gaining each year in tradition and mythology, the essence of the festivities is the focus on what individual people believe in, how they behave and what they would like to see from the year ahead.
Right across the globe, wherever there is a substantial Chinese community, there will be Chinese New Year celebrations followed by a major holiday, with countries neighbouring China quite often joining in the season too, from Bhutan and Korea to Japan and Hong Kong.
After the great success of 2009′s celebrations, Birmingham’s 2010 Chinese New Year looks set to come back bigger than ever before. The year of the Tiger, 2010, marks the 4708th year of the Chinese calendar, and will be celebrated throughout Birmingham by the extensive Chinese community as well as thousands of other revellers, as the celebrations start with a bang as an extravagant dragon and lion dancing parade will march down Hurst Street under a shower of firecrackers.
More stalls than ever before will line the street, where visitors can browse during the day, before night-time brings with it a programme of acrobatic and cultural displays and performances to amaze the crowds and celebrate ceremonial tradition. 2010′s festival is sponsored by Lebara Mobile and, with their help, one of the oldest celebrations in the world will run side by side with similar Chinese New Year celebrations right across the UK, from London to Manchester.
The tiger is the twelfth Chinese zodiac sign, with people born under it generally being well liked and charismatic and this will be reflected in the diverse and enjoyable programme of events that will run throughout the festival. Free to the public, the varied programme this year includes, amongst many other things, opening speeches at the Arcadian Centre just after the Dragon Dance, followed by the Welcoming of the Chinese God of Wealth. Later on, there will be dramatic Kung Fu demonstrations, children’s dance classes, Dragon Pole dances and many interactive classes and opera performances, where festival goers can take part in ancient traditions.
With the help of the Birmingham Chinese Festival Committee and the Birmingham City Council, this year’s Chinese New Year looks set to be the best yet, and many are offering special deals to welcome visitors to take part in the city’s seasonal festival.
Paul Buchanan writes for a digital marketing agency. This article has been commissioned by a client of said agency. This article is not designed to promote, but should be considered professional content.
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