China School Sees Monkey Business in New Year

The celebration of the festival also carries the aspiration of the Chinese people for a better life in the New Year.

While the Monkey isn’t the most desirable zodiac sign (leave it to the Dragon to take that title), Chen Wei, vice-president of Beijing hospital Harmonicare, says there will likely be a baby boom in China as we move from the Year of the Sheep to the Monkey. Leading the opening ceremonies, to be highlighted by a lion and dragon dance from Philippine Ling Nam Athletic Federation, Dotting of the Eye of the Chinese Lion and the Ceremonial Gong, is the Chinese Filipino Business Club, Inc and officials of the City Government of Manila and Manila Development Council.

Levi’s have carried a similar theme across their regional markets with Chinese New Year promotions offering bespoke product ranges, offers and discounts tweaked for each specific market.

Up in the northern part of Taiwan is Pingxi district, home of the famous Pingxi Sky Lantern Festival-a visual treat for those looking to experience a different Chinese New Year.

The Lunar New Year holiday for 2016 will start from February 6 and run through February 14 this year. But since nian gao is “not that tasty”, he notes, some Chinese families have abandoned the traditional rice cake in favor of other delicacies – “anything you can afford to buy: chicken, duck, pork shoulder”. The Chinese New Year festivities raise the profile of a neighborhood Chin said is actually growing. Liao explains that the Chinese word for fish “shares the same pronunciation with the word for abundance, so you always have fish”. It’s a “more modern concept” of the traditional feast, and typically features several courses of meat, vegetables, and dumplings, as well as the required fish plate.

The Isle of Man Chinese Association would like to wish a happy new year to all island residents in the run-up to Chinese New Year on Monday (February 8). The giver of the wishes, KUKA HOME, is a Chinese furniture manufacturer that advocates a corporate culture of “home and warmth”.

At Lucky Chinatown Mall in Binondo, a mother and her child stand under a prosperity tree for luck in the Year of Fire Monkey.

Fill red envelopes with dough and give them to kids and single young people. Cleaning the house before New Year’s brings luck.

Unfortunately, it is not just the catalogue of positive traits that the Chinese folks inherit from the animal in question; they may get the negative side too: for instance, those who are born in the Year of Monkey can be temperamental and somewhat arrogant as well.

Although many businesses want to target Asian customers, and he’s seen growing interest in Lunar New Year campaigns among Chicago companies over the last five years, there’s “a lack of intelligence about the demographic”, he said. One fun tradition anyone can celebrate during the Chinese New Year is to wear colorful clothing.