“Chinese New Year is considered to be the most important holiday on the Chinese calendar. This 15-day-long celebration is a time to reflect on the past and look optimistically to the future. It is also a time to recognize good fortune, pay homage to ancestors, enjoy elaborate feasts of traditional Chinese cuisine with friends and family, and take part in parades, lion and dragon dances, and other celebrations in the community. Among the most notable Chinese New Year customs is the handing out of red envelopes containing gifts of money by older family members to their younger relatives.
“For all Canadians, Chinese New Year provides an opportunity to reflect on the tremendous contributions that members of the Chinese community have made to this country’s rich and diverse heritage.
“This year, we enter the Year of the Snake – the sixth sign of the Chinese zodiac. The Snake symbolizes wisdom, intuition and intelligence.
“As Minister of Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism, I extend my best wishes to those celebrating Chinese New Year. May the Year of the Snake bring you happiness, health and prosperity!”
New Brunswick