Lunar New Year and Reunions

The Lunar New Year is not only celebrated in China but is also celebrated in many Asian countries such as Malaysia, Vietnam, Indonesia and Korea. This year we welcome the Year of the Dog with the first day of the Lunar New Year falling on February 16th.

Although there are traditions specific to each culture, we all share a common tradition – the family reunion dinner. Several generations usually make time to gather and have a reunion dinner on Lunar New Year Eve. Whether you celebrate this holiday or not, why not make
this a time to gather family and friends.

If you are unfamiliar with Lunar New Year traditions and symbols, read on to find out more and maybe learn something new to celebrate with family and friends. Don't forget to check out our events for more fun ways to invite some good fortune!

The Symbol of Mandarins

Mandarins are considered a lucky fruit. The mandarin looks like the sun and is aligned with the yang (positive) principle, thus being a highly auspicious symbol of abundance and happiness. So, having mandarin oranges around during the Lunar New Year is said to bring riches into your life.

Putting up mandarin trees is a sign that the Lunar New Year festivities are coming! Even individual mandarin fruits should still come with its stem and a few leaves attached as it represents long life and fertility. Why not give some mandarin fruits to someone?

Red Packets

Red packets are gifts containing money presented during the Lunar New Year. The colour red symbolises good luck and is also believed to be a symbol to ward off evil spirits. Red packets are customarily given out by married couples to single people (regardless of age) or children.

Little Mandarin are giving out red packets to wish luck and blessings in the Year of the Dog. Pick one up and test your luck with the surprise gifts inside! You can pick it up at various convenient locations from Feb 16 onwards: Lululemon @ Emporium, THR1VE @ Collins Place, and Nimble Activewear @ High St, Armadale.

Zodiac Animal Signs & The Year Of The Dog

This year is the year of the Earth dog. There are 12 animals in the Chinese Zodiac, which comes around every 12 years. Each zodiac sign is then associated with one of the five element: gold, wood, water, fire and earth. So that means that the last time we had an Earth dog was 60 years ago!

According to the lunar calendar, people born in the following date ranges are believed to have been born during the Year of the Dog:

A person’s characteristics are believed to be decided by their birth year’s zodiac animal sign and element. If you were born in the year of the dog, see below for some characteristic types associated with each dog. Do you agree with yours?