Celebrating Chinese New Year in Leeds

What is Chinese New Year?

Chinese New Year, also known as Lunar New Year, is the biggest festival of the year in East and South East Asian countries. It’s a time when many people have family reunions and enjoy a big feast together. This year, the Chinese New Year is on 1 February 2022. Each year is associated with an animal according to the Chinese zodiac signs, and this year is the Year of the Tiger.

Origin of Chinese New Year

Chinese New Year is associated with different traditional myths, with a history stretching back hundreds of years. The most popular myth is that there was a monster who was named Nian (the Chinese meaning is Year) that would attack villagers on the first day of each new year. However, Nian was afraid of bright lights, the colour red, and loud noises - so the villagers put up red decorations outside their houses, burned firecrackers and fireworks, and wore red festive clothes in order to scare away the beast. After that, Nian never showed up again. This tradition has then continued until now and it is an important way to celebrate Chinese New Year.

Celebrating Chinese New Year in Leeds

I’ll be celebrating Chinese New Year in Leeds for the first time this year. The Global Village will be hosting a Lunar New Year event on campus on 1 February, which I’m really looking forward to attending! It’ll be a great way for me and other students who celebrate Chinese New Year to share our customs with students who may not usually celebrate.

I also plan on making my own traditional foods to share with my flatmates - my favourite is Nian gao, or Chinese New Yeear sweet rice cake. It’s sweet and easy to make! I get all of my ingredients at one of the Chinese grocery stores in the city centre.

Another dish I’ll cook for Chinese New Year is Chinese radish cake, Lo Bak Go. This is a very traditional dish often served at dim sum restaurants, and it’s always on my table for New Year’s Day. While there are many places that serve dim sum in Leeds, I don’t think anything compares to my homemade version!

How I celebrate Chinese New Year in Hong Kong

Back in Hong Kong, there are always Chinese New Year flower markets, a Chinese New Year parade and fireworks each year during the festival. Many shopping malls in Hong Kong are filled with festive decorations as you can see from the photos. Our family will usually prepare some Chinese traditional foods before the festival.

Before the holiday, my family usually decorates our house with Chinese lanterns. Also, it is traditional to clean and tidy our house before the start of the new year, which symbolises getting rid of the bad luck from the previous year and allowing a new year to begin.

This will be the first Chinese New Year that I’m spending at Leeds Beckett, and while it might very different than what I’m used to in my home country, I’m excited to bring some of these traditions to Leeds.