CHINESE NEW YEAR festivities are well under way in Dublin. But for the tens of thousands of Chinese who live in Ireland, there is no place like home.
Dublin resident Ying Yao Wang – known to Irish friends as ‘Wendy’ – missed making dumplings with her parents in the northeast Chinese city of Dalian and watching the CCTV New Year Gala, which is broadcast annually on the eve of Chinese New Year.
But on the plus side, increasing numbers of Irish are becoming au fait with this important time in Chinese culture.
“Last year my friend told me that before Chinese New Year their manager asked ‘Would you like the day off?’” recounts Wang, who’s lived in Ireland for 10 years.
However, she added that events in Ireland marking the event could generally be better promoted.
The Chinese New Year begins on the first day of the first month within the Chinese lunisolar calendar and ends on the date of the full moon.
Most festivities in the Irish capital are taking place as part of the Dublin Chinese New Year Festival led by Dublin City Council and celebrating the Year of the Dragon, which officially began on 23 January.
Celebrations promoting Chinese film, art, literature and architecture have been taking place at multiple venues throughout the capital with festivities concluding on 3 February. Some events continue beyond the festival and a full listing can be found at www.cny.ie.
Elsewhere, a troupe of 33 top national artists from China, known as ‘Cultural China’, will be performing at the Convention Centre in Dublin on 1 February. Also performing will be dancers from the Chinese Irish Cultural Academy.
This event is organised by the State Council of Overseas Affairs of China and co-ordinated by the Chinese Embassy of Ireland with the local Chinese community and the Confucius Institute at UCD.
