Chinese New Year in London 2019

Start	End	Event Type
5 Feb 2019	15 Mar 2019	Traditional Festival

Book Now!

The Chinese New Year, also known as a Lunar New Year or a Spring Festival is one of the oldest holidays worldwide with more than 4.000 years of history. This holiday begins on the first of the Lunar Calendar and lasts until the 15th of the first month.

Chinese New Year 2019 Festival

London Chinese New Year Festival — The biggest Chinese New Year celebration outside Asia is in London. Hundreds of thousands of people celebrate it on the West End, enjoying colorful parades, free stage performances and tasting traditional Chinese food.

How to say “Happy New Year” in Chinese?

China contains many dialects, such as Cantonese or Beijing dialect, including dialects of China’s 55 ethnic minorities. People from the North can rarely understand those from the South and vice-versa, even though the same written language is used.

The simplest way of wishing a happy new year in Chinese is Xīn Nián Kuài Lè (新年快乐).

Year of the Pig in London

Chinese New Year always falls between late January and mid-February. The festival in central London is organized by the London Chinatown Chinese Association (LCCA).

London Year of the Pig — The London celebrations usually take place on Sunday following the date of the Chinese New Year. Chinese New Year 2019 is the year of the Pig.

The Pig ranks the 12th of the animals in the Chinese zodiac. These zodiac animals are, in order: Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog and Pig. Each year is related to an animal sign according to a 12-year cycle.

Trafalgar Square Lunar New Year — The central celebration place is Trafalgar Square and it begins at 11 AM. Traditional dragon and flying lion dances start at around 1 PM.

Chinese Lucky Money - Red Envelope — A common tradition during the Chinese New Year is to give the money to children in red envelopes. According to legends, parents would give children money in the New Year’s Eve so they would have something to bribe the evil spirits with.

Video: Chinese New Year 2018 in London