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Tuesday, January 26, 2016

Year of the Monkey 2016: 205 Celebrations Around the World


Monday, February 8, 2016 begins the Year of the Monkey. It is the beginning of the year 4713 (in some traditions, 4714) in the Asian lunar system, which is the Year of the Red Fire Monkey. This  post is one of a series of four posts discussing the Asian Lunar New Year in general and the Year of the Monkey in particular. In this blog, though, we will look at some of the festivals around the world for the Asian Lunar New Year.

Please look at this year's other three posts as well:
 

1.    One Year, Many Traditions: Lunar New Year Customs Around the World at  http://davidvictorvector.blogspot.com/2012/01/one-new-year-many-traditions-lunar-new.html
2.    Year  of the Monkey on the specifics of fortune and beliefs about this year's animal sign at  http://davidvictorvector.blogspot.com/2016/01/year-of-monkey.html
3.    Year of the Monkey: Business Impact  This post covers the business effects from travel to special editions of coins, stamps and gifts for the Lunar New Year around the world.  http://davidvictorvector.blogspot.com/2016/01/year-of-monkey-business-impact.html

The post here covers Lunar New Year celebrations around the world for 2016.


This 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. The listing here gives 205 major celebrations (parades, galas or other celebrations) for the Year of the Monkey  in 27 countries beyond where it is officially part of the tradition. Of these, 78 are in the United States, 30 in the United Kingdom, 21 in Canada, 19 in France, 17 in Australia, 5 in New Zealand, 4 each in the Netherlands and Thailand;  3 each in Spain, the Philippines and Malaysia, and 2 in Italy and Mexico. Additionally there were 1 each in  Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Dubai, Finland, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Peru, Portugal,  South Africa, and South Africa.

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, Korean, Vietnamese, 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: Bituun (New Year's Eve) and first three days of Tsagaan Sar are official holidays.
Mongolia
Mauritius: Mauritius is the only nation in Africa to recognize the Lunar New Year as an official state holiday.

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 Monkey Celebrations Around the Globe



Of course, many of the most important parades and celebrations for Chinese New Year, as one would expect, taking place in China, Hong Kong, MacauSingapore 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. 

Lunar New Year Celebrations in Asian Countries Without Lunar New Year Traditions

Indonesia

* Jakarta, Indonesia http://newyearseveblog.com/jakarta-chinese-new-year/


Malaysia



The Philippines  



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.


* Hamilton Island, Queensland  http://www.hamiltonisland.com.au/events/chinese-new-year

* Hobart, Tasmaniahttp://www.ccat.asn.au/general/lunar-new-year-festival/ 
Lunar New Year Festival
Hobart, Tasmania
 
* Melbourne, Victoria  http://www.cnymelbourne.com.au 



Chinese New Year festivities in Sydney
include fireworks over the harbor


Canada

MontrealQuebec  http://chinesenewyearblog.com/montreal/ 

* Vancouver, British Columbia    http://www.clairefromyvr.com/2016-chinese-new-year-vancouver

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

* Victoria, British Columbia http://www.tourismvictoria.com/events/chinese-new-year/ 

* Windsor, Ontario  http://visitwindsoressex.com/twepi_event/2016-chinese-new-year-gala/

Winnipeg, Manitoba  http://www.theforks.com/events/calendar-of-events/display,event/2156/chinese-new-year-celebration-2016 
                     
                                           France



The Paris Chinese New Year Parade in Le Marais 
is one of Europe's largest

The Netherlands


Rotterdam's Chinese New Year Parade


London Chinese New Year Parade
LondonEngland http://www.visitlondon.com/events/detail/4733685

ManchesterEngland  http://chinesenewyearmcr.com

NewcastleEngland  http://chinesefestivity.com


United States


ChicagoIllinois (Argyle Street Lunar New Year Parade)
 http://www.timeout.com/chicago/things-to-do/argyle-street-lunar-new-year-parade


* Chicago, Illinois (Chinatown CNY Parade) http://www.timeout.com/chicago/events/festivals/chinatown-lunar-new-year-parade
* Detroit, Michigan   https://www.dcba.com/content/dcba-2016-chinese-new-year-gala-year-monkey

* Easton, Maryland https://mscf.givezooks.com/events/lunar-new-year-2016

* Eugene, Oregon http://asiancelebration.org

* Falls Church, Virginia http://www.chinesenewyearfestival.org/
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://chinesenewyearblog.com/flushing-queens-cny/ (This is actually the largest New York City area Lunar New Year Parade).

* Fountain Valley (Orange County), California (Tet) http://www.octetfest.org/

* Grand Prairie, Texas (Tet) http://tradersvillage.com/grand-prairie/events/vietnamesenewyear/ 

* Helena, Montana http://www.helenaevents.com/02/06/2016/lunar-new-year-celebration/

HoustonTexas http://lunarnewyearhouston.com/

Los AngelesCalifornia  http://www.lagoldendragonparade.com/

* Mankato, Minnesota (Tet) http://vasa-mnsu-mankato.ticketleap.com/tet16/

PhoenixArizona http://phoenixchineseweek.org/

* Raleigh, North Carolina http://www.nctacas.org

* Riverside, California http://lunarfestriverside.com/

* Rockville, Maryland http://www.rockvillemd.gov/index.aspx?NID=730

* Sacramento, California http://www.cnyca.net/

San AntonioTexas  http://all-goebook.rhcloud.com/get/san-antonio-chinese-new-year-festival-2015/

San DiegoCalifornia (Chinese Festival) http://sdcny.weebly.com/

* San Diego (Tet Festival)  http://www.sdtet.com/


San FranciscoCalifornia  (the largest in the USAhttp://www.chineseparade.com/

San Francisco's Chinese New Year Parade
is the largest one outside of Asia.
It is sponsored annually by Southwest Airlines.

San JoseCalifornia (Tet Parade) http://hoitetfairgrounds.org/history.php



Sonoma CountyCalifornia (Tet Parade) http://www.sonomavietnamese.org/

* Stockton, California http://www.stocktoncnyc.org/



Washington DC Chinese New Year Parade

* WashingtonD.C. http://dc.about.com/od/specialeventphotos1/ig/Chinese-New-Year-Parade-Pics/index.htm 

* White Plains (Westchester), New York http://wacany.org/



Other Countries
(with 2 or less events) 

* Dublin, Ireland  http://cny.ie/

Chinese New Year in Milan, Italy



CONCLUDING REMARKS


There are undoubtedly many celebrations that I have overlooked here. Please do let me know events that you know about and share them on this blog if you would like to do so before the New Year begins. Also, I will try to include them next year.

Happy Year of the Monkey!



CLIP ART SOURCES


Opening Year of the Monkey clip art: Sacramento, California CNYCA  http://cnyca.net/php/ 

 Celebrants at Penampang, Saba on the island of Borneo: http://www.theborneopost.com/2012/01/08/28-lions-awaken-for-chinese-new-year/


Lunar New Year Festival, Hobart, Tasmania: http://www.ccat.asn.au/general/lunar-new-year-festival/









Washington DC Chinese New Year Parade http://0.tqn.com/d/dc/1/0/l/L/DSC01640.JPG

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