Chinese New Year in Ireland

New Year again!

This time Chinese New Year is in Dublin. Setting out to this festival for the first time, I expected a wide-ranging enterprise of festivities, according to Chinese quantity in Ireland and in Dublin. Statistics says that Chinese community is almost the most numerous in Ireland, yielding only to British, who can be hardly called immigrants.

Unfortunately, my expectations were not satisfied, but I think, it’s just a beginning, because this tradition is only some years old. The weather didn’t favour the holiday either, and one of presenters even complained of the fact that New Year in Chinese calendar is taking place in winter, but not in summer. And I guess that the place, where the festival was held, had been chosen not so much well. Wolf Tone Park, where the main scene took place, though situated at the centre of Dublin, takes a very small territory and is not designed for events like this. Consequently, the place of holding this event was really crowded and didn’t provide any comfort for visitors.

And what amazed me especially, was minimum quantity of tents with national Chinese nosh. Though there are many Chinese restaurants with take a way food only in Dublin at that. That’s a pity. Sometimes, it is pleasant to diversify your menu in an exotic way and in an unusual atmosphere.

Recurring to the holiday repertoire, firstly, I’d like to notice quite interesting acts such as demonstration of different martial arts and Chinese breathing exercises – Wushu. I don’t know about others, but for me, being an admirer of eastern martial arts, it was very interesting.

Audience warmly received a national group from Shanghai with their dances and songs. What was more amazing for me on this festival was that, there were many Chinese children with one of the parents, who were of European nationality. Before this festival I didn’t pay much attention to this.

All in all, let us consider that the celebrating the Year of the Tiger in Dublin was done successfully. From my side, I promise many colourful photos from celebrating Chinese New Year, but the next year.