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Celebrate Chinese New Year in Rugby Town Centre
Rugby town centre is set to celebrate Chinese New Year on Sunday 22 February and wants you to join them. Organised by Rugby First in partnership with Rugby Borough Council and Rugby Warwickshire Chinese Society, the FREE celebration, marking the year of the horse – symbolising energy, passion and boldness – will take place in Market Place between 11.30am and 3.30pm. Visitors will be able to enjoy some traditional Chinese music, dance, crafts, food, face painting and lantern making, as well as join in the parade.
As part of the celebrations on Sunday 22nd February, there will be a full programme of music and dance, as well as a chance for you to try your hand at calligraphy, origami, have your face painted, make a lantern or learn more about the Chinese tradition of tea tasting. Also look out for some delicious Chinese food and make sure you pick up your red envelope and coins — a traditional new year gift signifying good luck and happiness.
One of the highlights of the day is sure to be the procession which will involve lion and dragon dancing, lanterns and drums. It will leave the Market Place around 11.45am/12 noon so make sure you are there in time to join it.
Chinese New Year marks the start of the lunar calendar and is the most important festival in Chinese culture, featuring family reunions, festive decorations, and traditional customs that date back thousands of years. The 15-day celebration includes practices like giving red envelopes filled with money, lighting fireworks to ward off evil spirits, and enjoying symbolic foods that represent good fortune and prosperity.
Amy Zhang, Chairperson of the Rugby Warwickshire Chinese Society as well as being a joint organiser, said: “The Chinese New Year celebrations are a very important annual celebration for the Chinese Community and I am really pleased that we have the opportunity to celebrate it with the wider community in the town centre. I have no doubt that the lanterns, colourful and enigmatic lion and dragon dancing, along with the brilliant music and dance will provide an amazing spectacle and fantastic atmosphere in the town centre.”
Amy added, “I would like to say a special thank you to the Chinese Communities, Rugby First, Rugby Borough Council and all those taking part for their support and enthusiasm in helping to bring this event to life in Rugby town centre. Finally, I would like to wish everyone a Happy Chinese New Year.”
Linda Lowne, Rugby First Business Director, said: “It’s fantastic that Rugby town centre will be hosting Chinese New Year celebrations and I want to extend a special thanks to all those involved. The music and dance programme along with some traditional Chinese crafts looks amazing and I personally can’t wait to see the lion and dragon dancing.
The Chinese community in Rugby and the surrounding area continues to grow and we are looking forward to welcoming visitors from Coventry, Warwick and Leamington, many of whom are university students, to the town centre which can only be good news for the local economy.”
More details of the event’s planned music and dance programme will be announced shortly.
