优才英语秀-UK-style-Spring Festival-Emily王斐璠

The traditional Chinese Spring Festival culture is spreading around the world. Overseas Chinese from various countries and many foreigners are celebrating the festival in their own way. Do you know what's the festival like in the UK? Chinese communities across the United Kingdom (UK) celebrate Chinese New Year. People organize large scale community and public celebrations. These festivities may last for up to two weeks. What Do People Do? Chinese communities across the UK hold New Year parades and public celebrations close to the first day of the Chinese year. These often include: ▪ Lion dances in city centers and shopping malls. ▪ Performances of traditional and contemporary Chinese dance and music. ▪ Communal meals and tasting sessions of traditional Chinese food. ▪ Short courses and lectures on Chinese history, language and culture. ▪ Exhibitions of art and crafts created by artists from China. ▪ Displays of lanterns and fireworks. ▪ Chinese New Year decorations, including red envelopes for money. Most events are open to the general public and are generally friendly and welcoming for people of all backgrounds to learn more about the Chinese culture. Large public celebrations are held in central London, Manchester, Leeds, and Birmingham. Families, community centers and student associations often also hold private celebrations. These may be small parties at home or larger events for hundreds or thousands of people. Special dishes representing luck and happiness in the Chinese New Year are often served. However, Chinese New Year can also cause some problems for the local residents in the UK. Chinese New Year is not a public holiday in the UK. Parades and large scale public celebrations may cause some local disruption to traffic, particularly in city centers and Chinatown areas. Some Chinese shops and other businesses may keep different hours during the Chinese New Year period. But for most people, it’s still an exciting holiday anyway. A resident sa