2009 Chinese New Year in Vancouver, Canada

Vancouver, Canada Has an Excellent Chinese New Year Parade, but Other Activities Are Few and Far Between

Vancouver has a large Chinese community, so you would expect the Chinese New Year celebrations in Vancouver in 2009 will be many. In actual fact, you could be quite disappointed as, compared to most other large cities, the celebrations for Chinese New Year, 2009, in Vancouver are actually quite limited. But, if you follow these suggestions, you may still find enough to keep you entertained and with enough opportunities to wish in the 2009 Chinese New Year in Vancouver.

2009 in the Chinese calendar is the Year of the Ox all over the world. In 2009, the Chinese New Year begins on January 26^th and runs to the 15^th February. The Chinese New Year is the most important holiday of the year for Chinese all over the world, so, during the three week period, many Chinese-owned businesses are closed completely or operate shorter hours. Vancouver's Chinese community is no exception to this rule. The Chinese also follow traditional customs for New Year - visiting friends and relatives, giving money in red envelopes to children, and cleaning their entire house to welcome in the New Year and get a new start.

The Chinese New Year has been around for more than 2,000 years. It is celebrated by Chinese communities in every major city in the world, and usually begins with a large family dinner and then a fireworks display. Chinese New Year 2009 in Vancouver follows the same rule with Chinese families eating large New Year's dinners at Chinese restaurants, then setting off fireworks to scare away the mythical creature that comes around at Chinese New Year to steal the children.

For Chinese New Year, 2009, Vancouver will have their Annual Spring/Chinese New Year Parade, which always takes place on the first Sunday of the Chinese New Year. In 2009, the parade will be held on Sunday February 1st, and will include floats, bands, traditional Chinese lion and dragon dancers, booths, Chinese opera singers, tons of delicious Chinese food, and more. Your kids will also be able to watch the traditional Chinese firecrackers being set off, making a loud enough noise to delight any child.