Chinese New Year celebrations at Parliament

The Chinese Year of the Sheep will be celebrated this evening at Parliament at an event hosted by Ethnic Communities Minister Peseta Sam Lotu-Iiga.

Prime Minister John Key will also join around 200 people at the evening function where they will be welcomed with a traditional lion dance.

“Chinese New Year gives us an opportunity to take stock, to celebrate our achievements and set goals.  It is a time to lay the foundations for a brighter and more prosperous future,” Mr Lotu-Iiga says.

“This is the ‘Year of the Sheep’.  People born under this sign are creative, resilient and they persevere.  These are traits that will help us build a stronger and more harmonious New Zealand.

“This evening’s event recognises the contribution of the Chinese community in helping New Zealand become more diverse, prosperous and culturally richer,” Mr Lotu-Iiga says.

Chinese New Year celebrations start on the first day of the first lunar month in the traditional Chinese calendar and end on the full moon 15 days later.

The Chinese population makes up around 170,000 or 4.3 per cent of the total population.

“I encourage all New Zealanders to embrace festivities like Chinese New Year. We can all join with the New Zealand’s Chinese community to celebrate their heritage and showcase their culture’s vibrant colour, energy and stories,” says Mr Lotu-Iiga.