Local families Celebrate Chinese New Year in North Glasgow

OVER 100 people including 80 children took part in Chinese New Year celebrations at Saracen House in Possilpark earlier this week enjoying traditional Chinese food, music and dancing.

The event was organised by ng homes for its Chinese speaking tenants and was also attended by members of local groups and their families and committee members and volunteers from ng homes.

ng homes Board members took part in the celebrations with Chairperson John Fury welcoming everyone to the event and wishing them a happy new year and Bill Rossine, Vice Chairperson presenting prizes. John said: “It was excellent to see the Chinese families celebrating their culture with their neighbours from Springburn, Possilpark and surrounding areas, a happy new year was had by all.”

Also attending the event were Members of the Scottish Parliament. Bob Doris MSP highlighted the importance of families and wished everyone a peaceful and happy new year. Bob said: “This was a wonderful, vibrant event, and my thanks to ng homes for arranging it. I thoroughly enjoyed the music and dance, and of course the excellent Chinese cuisine.I look forward to forging ever stronger links with our local Chinese community, and I am sure the new year celebrations will continue to go from strength to strength.”

Patricia Ferguson MSP helped present the children with Red Pockets which are traditionally passed from adults to children during the Chinese New Year’s celebrations. The red colour of the envelope symbolises good luck. Patricia said: “I had a lovely afternoon and really enjoyed seeing all the colourful costumes and the really graceful dancers.”

Cheng Hong, from Possilpark said: “The red pockets proved very popular and helped children enjoy the home festival atmosphere which is very important.

I’d like to thank ng homes for organising a very hospitable Chinese New Year celebration party. All programmes were fantastic and the children enjoyed them. Chinese tenants are very thankful for being invited and I’d like to thank all the people who contributed to this event.”

Chinese New Year is an important festival celebrated at the turn of the Chinese Calendar in China. It is also known as the Spring Festival, the literal translation of the modern Chinese name. Chinese New Year celebrations traditionally run from Chinese New Year’s Eve, the last day of the last month of the Chinese calendar, to the Lantern Festival on the 15th day of the first month, making the festival the longest in the Chinese calendar. It falls between February 18 and March 5 this year.

Michael Kam of ng homes said: “Being far from home New Year is very significant to Chinese people here in Glasgow. It has the meaning of family union and friendship among people. With the event held in their community this means they can enjoy the Chinese New year with their Scottish neighbours.”

Chinese food was provided by local restaurant SeeWoo and dancers from the Glasgow Oriental Dancing Association entertained everyone. The event was also attended by community police officers and fire officers from Fire Scotland.

Local man Bob Moir provided traditional Scottish entertainment playing the concertina and even had everyone on the floor doing the hokey cokey.