Chinese New Year, also known as the Spring Festival, is an immensely significant celebration within the UK’s Chinese community, marking the beginning of a new year on the traditional Chinese lunar calendar. This festival, which typically falls between late January and early February, is a vibrant and colourful event, rich in cultural significance and steeped in centuries-old traditions. Streets in areas like London’s Chinatown burst into life with stunning decorations, red lanterns, and lively parades featuring dragon dances, symbolising good luck and prosperity.

Families gather for sumptuous feasts, enjoying traditional dishes like dumplings, symbolising wealth, and fish, representing abundance. It’s a time of joyous reunions, heartfelt exchange of red envelopes (‘hongbao’), and an expression of good wishes for the year ahead. Chinese New Year in the UK not only celebrates the cultural heritage of the Chinese community but also showcases the diversity and multiculturalism of British society.