Gung Hay Fat Choy from the Lillian H. Smith Branch
Gung Hay Fat Choy! 恭禧發財! The start of a new Lunar Year is a time for tradition, hope for the future, and time spent with loved ones. When you add in the excitement of a community-wide celebration and some explosive performances held in a very special place, the effect is magnified a thousandfold.
Each year the Lillian H. Smith branch hosts a fun-filled day of special events and performances in honour of Chinese New Year. Last month on February 8, 2016, we kicked off the Year of the Monkey, and what a celebration it was! Not only is this annual tradition a chance for people of all ages to gather and share their good wishes for the new year, it’s also a wonderful opportunity for everyone to learn more about Chinese arts, culture, and history, and of course eat some yummy treats.
If you're not familiar with Chinese New Year (also called Lunar New Year or Spring festival), it is one of the biggest and most important holidays in China. A huge celebration is essential since a good start leads to luck and prosperity for the rest of the year. As one might guess, it follows the Chinese Lunar Calendar rather than the Western Gregorian calendar, and this is year 4713. Traditionally the Lunar New Year coincided with the start of a new year of farming and was celebrated to ensure good harvests. Now, among other things, it celebrates the start of a new business year, and with it many wishes for good profits and success. The Chinese zodiac also attaches animal signs to each lunar year in a cycle of twelve years. This year's animal, the Monkey, is the ninth animal in the cycle, and will not take place again until 2028.
In much the same way decorators go all out with red and green during the December holiday season in the Western world, there is an abundance of red decorations for Chinese New Year. Red is an auspicious colour and the main colour of the festival, appearing in lanterns, scrolls, fans, and traditional Chinese couplet poetry on banners. Much of this beautiful brush calligraphy is done painstakingly by hand, such as the ones done by some talented seniors in the neighbourhood with very, very steady hands.
Another popular tradition observed for Chinese New Year is the performance of the lion dance. In Chinese folklore, lions are viewed as a source of power, grace, and bravery who also help chase evil spirits away. By mimicking the movements of a lion to the accompaniment of of beating drums, crashing cymbals, and thunderous gongs, lion dancers conjure up the qualities of strength and courage to start the New Year. In addition to some impressive martial arts demonstrations, the members of the Northern Legs Southern Fists Kung Fu, Dragon, and Lion Dance Team performed a lion dance in the main foyer of the Lillian H. Smith branch, a spectacle that resonated through the entire library and could be seen all the way up to the fourth floor.
Families and children were also encouraged to get into the spirit with arts and crafts, like making origami monkeys at the STORYgami program, or by watching the special puppet show performance of "Monkey and Crocodile" by children's librarian and puppetmaster extraordinaire Laurel, which she performed to a crowd of over a hundred people.
The afternoon had no shortage of special guests either. World-renown dulcimer artist Pingxin Xu joined us for a lively performance of some traditional Chinese songs, including "Happy Song" and "Tiger Hill." Mr. Xu also explained the history of the dulcimer and how it came to be known as a "Chinese instrument" for its recognizable sound, though it's thought to have originated in the Middle East around 900 A.D. It is an incredibly difficult instrument to play, requiring skill, precision, and a delicate touch, although Mr. Xu made it look effortless.
Continuing the musical portion of the afternoon, award-winning ballroom dancer Mimi Starikova and her students performed several numbers for us, including a Chinese rendition of "Edelweiss," accompanied by singer May Huang, and a rumba with Mimi and her dance partner, Jamie.
No holiday celebration is complete without a proper sing along and the chance to get loud and a bit silly. Fortunately the enthusiastic and talented May was on hand to get everyone up on their feet and singing along with her fun ukulele performance of a Chinese running song and a few other favourites, which were an especially big hit with young audience members. It was the perfect way to finish off the afternoon before sharing some delicious baked goods like spring rolls and traditional egg tarts, and handing out Chinese New Year scrolls for good luck.
No matter what part of the world you're from, holidays are about coming together in a spirit of celebration with family and friends to honour old traditions and create new ones. That sentiment is universal, even if the people celebrating don't all speak the language or come from the same cultural backgrounds. For the Lillian H. Smith branch, hosting such grand Chinese New Year festivities is one such tradition that has been warmly embraced by the community and is eagerly anticipated each year, hopefully for many more years to come. If celebrating the Lunar New Year is all about getting off to the right start in order to ensure love, happiness, and good luck for the rest of the year, the Year of the Monkey has had an auspicious beginning indeed.
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