CHINESE New Year is almost upon us, and locals are gearing up to celebrate in swirls of red and gold.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Centacare NENW community multicultural officer Suelyn Pakes said the 15-day celebration, which starts next Thursday, was a time to gather, feast and get creative.
"It's an opportunity to have time with family," Ms Pakes said. "We're always busy, it's hard to find time to catch up."
Ms Pakes said Centacare was hosting a Chinese New Year event to share typical Chinese food, such as the sweet and sticky nian gao cake and the colourful yee sang salad.
The party will also include a tai chi performance and Chinese music.
She said a typical Chinese New Year would involve a large feast on the dot of midnight, with prayers to gods and firecrackers to chase away bad spirits, and gifts of gold or money placed in little red envelopes for luck.
It also involves a month-long house clean-up and groups of locals gathering to craft gold nuggets and lanterns from paper for decorations.
2015 marks the Year of the Goat and people born in this year are calm, creative, dependable and intelligent, according to the Chinese zodiac.
But it is also considered a less fortunate year and a time when people should act cautiously in business.
Centacare will be hosting a Chinese New Year gathering at the V Guy Kable Building, 201 Marius St on Thursday, February 19 from 12.30pm to 3pm.
To register, call Suelyn at Centacare on 6762 9209.