2023 Chinese New Year Celebrations Year of the Rabbit Victoria British Columbia

Come and celebrate the Lunar New Year in Victoria, British Columbia.

Chinese New Year, or Lunar New Year celebrations will occur just past the Gates of Harmonious Interest in Canada's oldest Chinatown. There will be a lion dance parade and Kung Fu demonstrations. The lions bless the merchants who hang offerings of money and lettuce for the hungry lions. The lions in turn, bless the merchants and scare away all evil spirits from the past year to bring in good luck for the new year.

This event is free for all and will proceed rain, shine, or snow.

This year the Lunar New Year begins on January 22, 2023. The first day of the festival begins on the New Moon each year between January 21 and February 20. The festival lasts 16 days from New Year's Eve to the 15th day of the New Year which also happens to be the Lantern Festival. This year the animal sign is the Rabbit.

In Chinese culture, the rabbit is the luckiest of the 12 animals of the zodiac and symbolizes energy, elegance and beauty. People who are born in the year of the rabbit are calm and peaceful.

In Vietnam, Lunar year 2023 is the year of the Cat on the Vietnamese zodiac, from January 22, 2023, to February 9, 2024. The Cat is the fourth sign in the Vietnamese Zodiac, taking the place of the Rabbit in the Chinese Zodiac.

Lunar New year is celebrated uniquely in many different Asian countries in addition to China and Vietnam mentioned above: Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, The Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand, Tibet, and of course all around the world where there are people who recognize the Lunar New Year as part of their culture.