By Jill Sperling

Lunar New Year celebrations planned in Kamloops

Jan 26, 2017 | 11:20 AM

KAMLOOPS — For many, New Year’s day is already a distant memory. For those who follow the Lunar Calendar, the party is just getting started as they usher in the year of the rooster this weekend.

This Saturday is Chinese New Year, an event that brings families and friends together for a large dinner. 

The Kamloops Chinese Cultural Association is hosting a traditional Chinese banquet with entertainment at the Lotus Inn Saturday evening to celebrate the big day. 

“It’s a turn of the new year in China, in the Chinese Calendar,” Dali Li, president of the Chinese Cultural Association said, adding, “It’s called the Chinese New Year, but it’s also called the Spring Festival, and it’s a time of the year when families gather together and have a family dinner. It’s not only celebrated in China, but also in Korea, Japan, Thailand, Malaysia. I would say it’s one of the most important holidays in China.”

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Moon Wok Chinese Restaurant is also preparing for the Chinese New Year. Traditional meals will be served on both Friday and Saturday. 

According to restaurant owner, Faith Leung, many of the dishes have special significance. 

“Some really fun ones, like we have longevity noodles, so longevity noodles means long life, the longer the noodle the longer the life, and we have them at every celebration,” Leung explained. “We are doing a fish, we’re doing chicken or duck, and prawns actually. So, the sound for prawns in Chinese is ‘ha’, so laughter. So we are doing a few different dishes that we would usually just make at home as well.”