Chinese culture is filled with holidays and celebrations and the Lunar New Year is the biggest. Not only is it the largest mass movement of people in the world, it is also one of the globe’s most colourful and glamorous celebrations. January 25th 2020 sees
the start of the year of the Rat!
As Thailand is home to the largest overseas Chinese community in the world, this festival is very important in the country.
Celebrations will be spread across two or three days. During Chinese new year many of the rituals, like dragon dances and even the special food eaten are imbued with magical meaning.
In Chiang Mai, if you want to see the dragon dance, you should pay a visit to Warorot market. Shortly after noon, the street next to the Ping river will be closed and be filled with food stalls, dragon dancers and even acrobats who enthral onlookers with their performances.
You can also walk around and visit one of the two Chinese temples located in this area, where visitors pray for a successful year ahead. During Chinese New Year it is customary to set off firecrackers and for family members to hand each other red envelopes
with money inside.
This year, we are welcoming the year of the rat which is the first in the 12-year-cycle of Chinese zodiac signs. People born in the year of the rat are believed to be very industrious and thrifty, diligent and positive. They have a keen intuition allerting them to danger. They’re careful with money and have good financial luck.
