By Rany Xanthopoulo First Monday

(2015) The origins of the Chinese Community in our area dates back to the mid- seventies. Dr. George Lichong and Mr. Chuck Woo were the original founders and their aim was to keep the culture ties and traditions alive and to help new immigrants to get settled. At that time there were about 140 members, but over the years the membership is close to 500.

Sanjun Yu is the past president of the Chinese Community and says that the regions that Chinese immigrate from are Mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Vietnam, Singapore and South Africa. There are many different dialects and communicating with each other is usually in English. Cantonese and Mandarin are the most popular dialects,” he says.

The majority of the local Chinese population are professionals such as engineers, medical doctors, dentists, pharmacists as well as business owners of restaurants and retail. Education is extremely important to the Chinese culture and according to Sanjun, 95% of second generation Chinese Canadians are university graduates.

As far as customs and traditions, the most important and popular one is the upcoming Chinese New Year. This year it is celebrated on February 19 and is the Year of the Goat. In China it is a statutory holiday and everyone has three days off work. “Locally we celebrate on the weekend and as many as 300-400 of us get together at Grace United Church where we enjoy each other’s company accompanied by traditional foods and entertainments,” says Sanjun. Other important dates on the Chinese calendar are Canada Day at Canatara, Art Walk and the Moon Festival in late September when the moon is closest to the earth. Traditional Chinese food, a performance such as singing, dancing and drama are always part of any festival celebration.

Chinese people have very strong family values. “Our parents gave us life, took care of us and educated us. As they age and need looking after, we have their lives with us as we feel it is our turn to look after them,. It is quite common to have three generations living together. Also most grown up children, if they are still single, tend to live with their parents,” says Sanjun. “However, that seems to be changing with the new generation,” he says with a smile.

Chinese New Year in Canada

Chinese New Year is a vibrant and festive occasion for many people in Canada. This event can last for many days and often includes various festivities such as street parades and festivals featuring dancing, traditional Chinese costumes, firework displays, food stalls and arts and crafts.

Chinese New Year is not a nationwide public holiday in Canada. However, some Chinese businesses may be closed on the day or amend their business hours to take part in the Chinese New Year festivities. There may be heavy traffic and some streets may be closed in towns or cities where Chinese New Year celebrations are held.

The Chinese community in Canada has a long history dating back to the 19th century. The Chinese moved to Canada for various reasons related to employment and opportunities associated with Canada’s growth. All across Canada, starting in the 1890s, cities and larger towns began to develop their own Chinatown districts.

British Columbia was home to more than 60 percent of Canada’s Chinese before World War II, according to sources such as Library and Archives Canada. But for many years after a ban on Chinese immigration was revoked in 1947, the province received only one-third of new Chinese immigrants. This meant that Chinese families were settling all across Canada. Canada is today seen as a multicultural country in which festivals such as Chinese New Year are celebrated each year.

Chinese New Year has various symbols and traditions. For example, flowers are an important part of New Year decorations. Writings that refer to good luck are often seen in homes and business environments. They are usually written by brush on a diamond-shaped piece of red paper. Tangerines and oranges are also displayed in many homes and stores as a sign of luck and wealth.

Envelopes with money (Hong Bao, Ang Pao, or Lai See) often come in the colour red, which symbolizes happiness, good luck, success and good fortune. These envelopes are mainly given as presents to children. Each Chinese New Year is associated with an animal name for one of 12 animals in the Chinese zodiac.