David Victor Vector: Year of the Dragon: Lunar New Year Celebrations Around the World

Poster for Year of the Dragon
Festivities, Toronto, Ontario

This is the fourth and final post on the Asian Lunar New Year which begins a week from tomorrow on Monday January 23. Today’s post first indicates where the Lunar New Year is an official state holiday. The post then goes on to share the wide range of events taking place outside of those countries.

A TIME OF SLOW DOWNS AND TIME OFFS

The Asian Lunar New Year is a public holiday with varying lengths in several countries.

Many Chinese, Bhutanese and Mongolian communities unofficially are closed for the entire New Year’s week (including the preceding or following weekends in many cases). The dates of observance for Tet in Vietnam and Seol in Korea may extend well beyond the official dates as well, especially in rural areas. This somewhat parallels the slowing or shutting down of work and school for Christmas in Europe, Australia, New Zealand and the Americas.

OFFICIAL STATE HOLIDAYS

The Asian New Year in various countries is officially recognized by the state in 15 countries, as follows:

Bhutan

Bhutan: Officially off for Losar but the dates are not officially specified. As some festivities last up to 15 days, this means that the time when things are open or closed is somewhat unclear for about two weeks.

Brunei

Brunei: The first Day of Lunar New Year is an official holiday. If that date lands on a Friday (the Islamic day off), the official observance is moved to the next day on Saturday. It is significant that the Chinese and Vietnamese in Brunei are only a minority, but the state still recognizes the first day of the Asian New Year as a sign of respect to an important minority population.

Christmas Island

Christmas Island: Christmas Island is a territory of Australia, and not a full country. Still, since (unlike Australia), the territory recognizes the first two days of the Lunar New Year as an official holiday, it is listed here. If the holiday falls on a Sunday (the Christian day off), it is extended until the following Tuesday.

Hong Kong

Hong Kong: Though technically part of the PRC, Hong Kong has considerable autonomous control. The first three days of the Chinese New Year are official holidays. This is one day longer than on the Mainland.

Indonesia

Indonesia: The first day of the Lunar New Year is a holiday. It is significant that the Chinese and Vietnamese in Indonesia are only a minority, but the state still recognizes the first day of the Asian New Year as a sign of respect to an important minority population.

Macau

Macau: Macau, like Hong Kong, is technically part of the PRC, but has considerable autonomous control. As with Hong Kong, the first three days of the Chinese New Year are official holidays. This is one day longer than on the Mainland.

Malaysia

Malaysia: The Chinese are Malaysia's largest minority and a major part of the overall society. As a sign of respect to that minority, Malaysia recognizes the first two days of Lunar New Year as official holidays.

Mongolia

Mongolia: Bituun (New Year's Eve) and first three days of Tsagaan Sar are official holidays.

North Korea

North Korea: The first day of Seol is an official holiday.

The Philippines

The Philippines: The first day of the Lunar New Year is a holiday, although the Chinese community is a minority within the country.

PRC

People's Republic of China: New Year’s Eve and the first two days of the New Year are holidays in the PRC. That said, the government usually officially makes the New Year a seven-day holiday. By doing so, the Chinese may have the days off but are then required to work during either the preceding or following weekend (or another weekend if agreed upon). Businesses and schools, in turn, consider the two weekend days as being the weekdays that were missed. While this clarifies issues such as overtime pay or extra school days, this nonetheless makes predicting when something is actually shut down or open very difficult at this time of year.

Note also that Hong Kong, Macau and Tibet all are part of the PRC but have different Lunar New Year official times off (as noted elsewhere in this list).

Taiwan

Taiwan: In Taiwan the Lunar New Year’s Eve and the first three days of the Chinese New Year are official days off. Additionally, the fifth day of the Chinese New Year is an official day off for the Dragon Boat Festival (or Duan Wu Festival). This effectively makes the fourth day of the New Year an unofficial day off.

Tibet

Tibet: Although Tibet is part of the PRC, Losar is officially recognized as a holiday for the first seven days of the Lunar New Year. This is done as a recognition of the cultural traditions of the Tibetan ethnic minority.

Singapore

Singapore: Singapore recognizes the first two days of the Lunar New Year as official days off. Approximately 74% of Singapore's population is Chinese in ethnicity.

South Korea

South Korea: The first three days of Seol are officially recognized as a state holiday.

Vietnam

Vietnam: The last two days of old year and first three days of Tet are officially recognized as state holidays.

Year of the Dragon Celebrations Around the Globe

Poster for Year of the Dragon
Festivities in Utrecht, Holland

Of course, many of the most important parades and celebrations for Chinese New Year, as one would expect, taking place in China, Hong Kong, Macau, Singapore and Taiwan. Similarly, Losar celebrations take place in Bhutan and Tibet; Tet celebrations in Vietnam, Seol celebrations in

Korea

and so on.

The emphasis here, though, is to show how widespread observances for the Asian Lunar New Year have become throughout the world and to encourage you to consider attending one of these if you live nearby.

Asian Countries Without Lunar Year Tradition

Malaysia

* Kuala Lumpur http://www.malaysiasite.nl/chingay.htm

* George Town, Penang http://goseasia.about.com/od/eventsfestiva2/a/cnypenang.htm

* Penampang, Saba http://www.theborneopost.com/2012/01/08/28-lions-awaken-for-chinese-new-year/

Celebrants at Penampang, Saba
on the island of Borneo

The Philippines

*Cebu http://www.sunstar.com.ph/cebu/local-news/cebu-host-chinese-new-year-fest

* Manila http://entertainment.inquirer.net/25467/business-unusual-at-parade-of-stars

Manila's Chinese New Year Parade begins in Binondo.
The oldest Chinatown in the world, Binondo was already well established
as a trade center when the Spanish arrived in 1521, and remains
an active center of Filipino Chinese commerce and culture to this day.

Thailand

* Bangkok http://www.tatnews.org/events/events/2012/jan/5775.asp

* Chiang Mai http://chiangmai.thaivisa.com/chinese-new-year-2012/

* Nakon Sawon http://www.nakhonsawanprovince.com/chinese_new_year_nakhonsawan.htm

* Phuket http://www.phuket.com/festival/chinese-new-year.htm

Nakon Sawon Chinese New Year Parade (left)

The Chinese community has been present in Thailand

since the Ayutthaya Period (ca. 1350 CE)

Australia

* Adelaide http://www.chinesenewyear.com.au/ade_home.html

* Brisbane http://www.visitbrisbane.com.au/Travel/Events/Event-View.aspx?id=21936

* Melbourne http://www.melbournedailoong.com.au/parades.html

* Perth http://www.showmeperth.com.au/event/2012-perth-chinese-new-year-fair

* Sydney http://www.sydneychinesenewyear.com/

Chinese New Year festivities in Sydney
include fireworks over the harbor

Canada

* Calgary, Alberta http://www.culturalcentre.ca/index.php?page=cny-events

* Montreal, Quebec http://gomontreal.about.com/od/montrealevents/qt/cny2009.htm

Vancouver's Chinese New Year Parade
annually draws over 50,000 spectators
who watch its over 3000 participants

* Toronto, Ontario http://toronto.kijiji.ca/c-community-volunteers-2012-Dragon-Chinese-New-Year-Celebration-W0QQAdIdZ341590534

* Vancouver, British Columbia http://www.cbavancouver.ca/parade.html

The Netherlands

* Amsterdam http://www.mydestination.com/amsterdam/events/7323169/chinese-new-year-2012-23-january-2012

* The Hague http://www.denhaag.nl/en/residents/to/Chinese-New-Year-Festival-3.htm

* Rotterdam http://en.rotterdam.info/visitors/events/3924/chinese-new-year-festival/

* Utrecht http://crtv.nl/readarticle.php?article_id=970

Rotterdam's Chinese New Year Parade

United Kingdom

* Belfast,

Northern Ireland

http://www.whatsonwhen.com/sisp/index.htm?fx=event&event_id=227525

* Birmingham, England http://www.visitbirmingham.com/arts_and_culture/festivals_and_events/chinese_new_year__the_year_of_the_dragon/

Birmingham's activities take place at Arcadian Centre

* Cardiff,

Wales

http://www.thereddragoncentre.co.uk/whats-on/highlight-detail.php?event_id=82

* Liverpool, England http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/the-northerner/2012/jan/13/liverpool-liverpool-chinesenewyear-celebrations-yearofthedragon

Chinese New Year Parade at Trafalgar Square, London

* London, England http://www.visitlondon.com/events/detail/4733685

* Manchester, England http://www.manchester.gov.uk/events/event/2285/

* Medway, Kent,

England

http://www.visitmedway.org/whats-on/chinese-new-year-p683291

* Newcastle, England http://www.newcastlegateshead.com/chinese-new-year

* Nottingham, England http://www.lakesidearts.org.uk/Chinese-New-Year.html

* Sheffield, England http://www.arenaticketshop.co.uk/whats-on/chinese-new-year-celebrations-2012---the-year-of-the-dragon/

United States

* Boston, Massachussetts http://www.boston-discovery-guide.com/boston-event-calendar-january.html#axzz1iyW7FR3K

* Butte, Montana http://goldwest.visitmt.com/listings/15393.htm

* Chicago, Illinois http://www.chicagochinatown.org/cccorg/home.jsp

The Lunar New Year Parade in Flushing, Queens
is the New York area's largest with
over 4000 people marching annually

* Flushing, Queens, New York http://queens.about.com/od/flushing/p/Chinese-New-Year.htm (this is actually the largest New York City area Lunar New Year Parade).

* Honolulu, Hawaii http://travelwithkids.about.com/gi/o.htm?zi=1/XJ&zTi=1&sdn=travelwithkids&cdn=travel&tm=11&gps=349_477_1276_823&f=00&su=p1097.8.121.ip_p284.12.336.ip_p531.54.336.ip_&tt=6&bt=1&bts=0&st=10&zu=http%3A//www.chinatownhi.com/

* Houston, Texas http://lunarnewyearhouston.com/

* Las Vegas, Nevada http://www.examiner.com/luxury-hotels-in-national/celebrate-the-year-of-the-dragon-at-the-venetian-and-the-palazzo-las-vegas

* Los Angeles, California http://www.lagoldendragonparade.com/

* New York, New York http://gonyc.about.com/cs/holidays/a/chinesenewyear.htm

* Phoenix, Arizona http://phoenixchineseweek.org/

* Portland, Oregon http://www.lansugarden.org/events_classes/chinese_new_year#schedule

* San Antonio, Texas http://www.savorsa.com/2012/01/asian-festival-celebrate-year-of-the-dragon/