*Happy Chinese New Year*

[Lizzie]

新年好

I would like to wish all of our Community a happy Chinese New Year.

There are many festivals and events happening all over the world, from beautiful light displays to great parades all celebrating the start of the year of the monkey.

How are you celebrating?

[Dave-and-Deb0]

Happy New Year to you as well @Lizzie and the rest of the CC.

I teach in a Mandarin bilingual school so Chinese New Year tends to go the whole week long.  We have activities such as paper cutting, dough art, and Tai Chi.  We also have an assembly where the students perform.  Performances include Chinese dance, a lion and dragon dance, Erhu and Ocarina instruments along with others.  We also have a whole school Chinese Chopstick lunch on Thursday.

I will leave you with a picture of myself and my children which was taken last year.  As you can see, my 16 year old son was not impressed.

Cheers

Dave

[Lizzie]

Aww @Dave-and-Deb0, this has made me so happy! This sounds like a great week of celebration. Thanks for sharing the photo, you all look amazing in your traditional dress and I am sure deep down your son was enjoying himself! 

It must be really interesting to work in a Mandarin bilinguel school, do you speak Mandarin? 

[Dieneke0]

Hello @Lizzie0 

Happy Chinese new Year to you too. Year of the Monkey. The Chinese New Year celebrations in London seem to be the biggest outside of China. If you happen to be in London, the celebrations will be this Sunday. You can find details here  in a great article from Time Out London.

I never make it to the parade, but always try to go. 

This is a picture from a past Chinese New Year Celebration here.

[Dieneke0]

And here is another picture of this year's Chinese New Year celebrations in London. For once it didn't rain and the weather was lovely.

[Lizzie]

Hello, @Marko2, love your photos you have shared here. It looks like you had a fantastic celebration and lots of tasty treats, particularly the first photo. Is this some sort of cake or perhaps as it looks like there is pastry around it, is it savoury?

Aww thanks @Dieneke0 for your wonderful photo, was fantastic? This looks like you are outside the National Gallery, Trafalgar Square? I am hoping to go to the Chiswick House Magic Lantern display next week. I'm very excited. 🙂 

[Dieneke0]

Hello @Lizzie yes it is outside the National Gallery on Trafalgar Square.  And it was really fun, but very packed.  They also had performances. Brilliant music - a mix of modern and Chinese. Here is the picture of the stadium for that at trafalgar Square.

Yes I wanted to go to the Magic Lantern Display as well. I have seen pictures on TV and it looks great. Also it is on a bit longer.  Just read that it is till the 6th March from 5pm onwards.

[Lizzie]

Great stuff, it looks really fun. 

Yes, we do have a little more time for the Magic Lantern festival which is good. I think it has been really popular, so I going to book tickets. 🙂

[Dieneke0]

Keep us posted. 

[Lizzie]

Hello @Dieneke0,

I finally made it to the Magic Lantern Festival! It was a chilly evening, but it was quite magical walking around the park at night, surrounded by lights. The visit takes you on a tour around the whole of the garden and over a little bridge. The swans in the photo below were next to the lake (where else would they be) and were huge beacons of light amongst the darkness.  Here are a few photos:

@Marko2, thanks also for letting me know more about your New Year and the edible treats you shared. It does sound like a great celebration, thanks for the invitation...it is very tempting! 🙂

[Dieneke0]

Hello @Lizzie wow, what a magical and lovely pictures. Funnily enough I was thinking of it the other day, but realising it would be too late to go. Good you went and next year I will definitely go. 

[Marko2]

Well @Lizzie, I was celebrated the New Year on january 14th. 🙂
Then has been the first day of the Serbian New Year. This celebrates were according to the old Julian calendar which used by the Orthodox Church.

Actually in my city we celebrate both NY. First called 'Calendar'( Regular or just the New), at December 31th, but second usually Serbian NY. Around ten states celebrate the same feast under a different names.

Since this is the Orthodox church's calendar, Christmas get come at on January 7th. So, on the mystic ways feel like how a January make into December. 🙂

Happy Chinese New Year!

Marko

[Lizzie]

Hello @Marko2,

This is really interesting to hear, it must be quite a nice way to get through January. How do you celebrate Serbian New Year tradionally, is it similar to the 31st or do you have a specific way of celebrating it?

[Marko2]

Christmas times is little of kind different. While the Serbian New Year quite similar, usually people spend with a family.

Here are a few Christmas photos:

[Marko2]

Well, @Lizzie, on the left side of the picture it is a pastry cake (called just the cake). It is specially decorated and has savoury taste, then always breaks with a hands and share around with others guests, strangers and family. That day the cake is on everyone's table.
Other on a picture is the grains. Sweetest victual made of a cooked grains and a little bit of red wine.

@Lizzie if you are more interested be my guest come in a my home on next year. Announced me earlier and I will do our best to represent all the tradition of customs. 😄 It's best when you feel experience. 🙂