Winnipeggers mark Lunar New Year with tone of solemnity after deadly California shooting

The sound of firecrackers exploding on streets in Mauritius is a memory Rosanna Leung-Shingwill always hold close.

Lunar New Year festivities for the Year of the Rabbitin wintry Winnipeg on Sunday will be abit differentcompared to those she celebrated for most of her childhood onan island in the South Indian Ocean, but the traditions of theholiday aren't lost onLeung-Shing.

She still gifts brightred packetsto friends and family. The packets, which traditionally contain money, symbolizewell wishesand luck for the upcoming year.

"It's a time of joy and people go to people's homes and bring gifts, and it's celebrated inall cultures. So it's not just the Chinese culture but everybody celebrating it," she said Sunday.

Leung-Shing, who is the vice-president of Manitoba Great Wall Performing Arts, also ensures pre-holiday taskssuch as extra cleaning, preparation of snacks and decorating her house, which includes putting up Chinese lanternsarecomplete well ahead of celebrations.

She came to Canada at the age of 14. Now a mother of her own, Leung-Shinghas tried to pass down the importance of Lunar New Year traditions to both her adult children.

LISTEN | Lunar New Year celebrations taking place in Manitoba this week:

But she worries future generations might lose touch with those traditions.

"I do have a little bit of a fear that it is going to belike any other day," Leung-Shing said.

"It's up to us to continue [spreading traditions] and making sure thatwe're getting together....It's not going to be as expensive but we're still going to keep up those traditions the red packets that we give them. That is something I hope we don't lose but I don't know."

Alex Zhouis part of ayounger generation, andisn't a completetraditionalist when it comes to celebrating Lunar New Year.

The 25-year-old from Chinahad dinner with friends on Saturday night. Since his family is back overseas, he says spending time with friends and enjoying the food are important ways to ring in the holiday.

"I don't really care about the tradition," Zhou said."You have to do a lot of dancing ...I'm not that kind of guy."

Lion dance and luck

But BernardPhanthavong, president of the Flying Lion Dance Troupe, is excited to be dancing again.

Phanthavongexpects the next year will have a "fast and energetic pace" because it's the Year of the Rabbit, which happens to be one of the luckier zodiac signs, he said.

His troupe did many virtual performances due to COVID-19, but he's happy to be performing in the community onceagain.

"The lion dance it's really meant to chase away evil spirits and they bring good luck and prosperity for the new year," Phanthavong said. "The lion grabs the lettuce the colour green, similar to wealth or money. So when the lion eats it and then spits out the lettuce back to you, it's like showering the audience with wealth and prosperity for the new year."

This year's celebrations could,however, be a bit muted with a rising COVID-19 death toll in China and a mass shooting following aLunar New Year celebrationin Monterey Park,Calif., late Saturday night, Leung-Shing suggests.

"It's not something you can't forget.Obviously you know it is reality," Leung-Shing said.

"As much as you want to make it look like it's OK, you still have to celebrate and you but you still have that sadness in you of all that's going on. So I do hope the Year of the Rabbit is going to bring calmness and hope."

In Vancouver, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau took part in a Lunar New Year celebration and addressed the shooting.

He saidhis "heart breaks" for the people whose Lunar New Year celebrations were "violently attacked" and whose lives were forever changed by theshooting.

Trudeau said that while it was nice to see everyone gather to celebrate the Lunar New Year in-person for the first time since the pandemic began, news of the shooting has also caused sadness amid what should be a joyful time.

"We will be there for whatever support Canada can offer," Trudeau told reporters before the parade got underway.

He said he is sending condolences to the families and friends of those who were killed and is keeping the victims in his thoughts.

Intergenerational celebration

Geoffrey Young is all about Lunar New New Year traditions, and so are his childrenandgrandchildren.

Young, who owns Kum Koon Restaurant in Winnipeg's Chinatown, saidhis grandchildren were especially excited to watch the Flying Lion Dance Troupe perform at the restaurant on Sunday afternoon.

"My grandchildren, they all coming.They all coming to to see this. They were excited about it. They also invite their school friends to come," Young said.

For Young, Lunar New Year centres all around family.

He's also thrilled to have a chance to celebrate the day at a family gatheringtomorrow.

"Lunar New Year to us isvery importantin the Chinese community even if we are in Canada because this is a year ... [where]everybody wishes everybody healthand good luck," Young said.

Jenny Li, one of the owners of Ming's Bakery, said people who celebrate the holiday stock up on food in the hopes itbrings them abundance in the year ahead.

It means business is brisk this time of year.

"It's like Boxing Day shopping. A customer earlier todaywas like, 'I don't know why, but when I come to the bakery, I feel like I'm panic-buying all the time,'" Li said, chuckling.

Li said customers particularly seek outbaked goods with a round shape, since itsymbolizes family togetherness.

Winnipeggers ring in Year of the Rabbit

2 years ago

Duration 1:46

Chinese Winnipeggers celebrated Lunar New Year on Sunday with a lion dance, food and family.