Calgary’s Chinese community is welcoming the Year of the Monkey.
They spent the weekend participating in the festivities at the Chinese Cultural Centre and spending time with family and friends.
Malcolm Chow is a volunteer at the centre and says in Canada the holiday is always celebrated on the weekend closest to Chinese New year.
“We all try to get together for dinner with family on New Year’s Eve,” says Chow. “On New Year’s Day we go out and visit friends.”
Zoe Zhou has been working at the Chinese Cultural Centre since coming to Canada two and a half years ago and spent the holiday celebrating with friends.
Zhou says in China this is a special time to spend with your family talking about what happened in the last year and looking forward to what the New Year will bring.
“Grandparents will send good wishes to the younger generation and the younger ones will wish good health and happiness to the older generation,” says Zhou.
This is the Year of the Monkey on the Chinese calendar and those born this year will have several qualities including creativity and intelligence.
Chow says in Chinese folklore this year is modeled after the Monkey King who had very high aspirations of becoming a supreme being.
“Calgary and Alberta had a very rough year so I would like to say we should follow the spirit of the Monkey King,” says Chow. “We should set our goals high and looking forward do something that’s meaningful in our life no matter how difficult it may appear to be.”
Chow says this is always the time of year we begin to look forward to something better.
