Celebrating the Lunar New Year in the National Capital Region
March 7, 2025 - Defence Stories
Estimated read time - 2:30
The Lunar New Year
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Photo of a family heirloom lion costume, drum, cymbals, Buddha mask and fan.
The Lunar New Year, often referred to as the Spring Festival, holds significance for many Asian families and communities worldwide. Celebrated across various Asian countries including China, Vietnam, Korea, Malaysia, Thailand, and Singapore, the festival is also important to Asian diasporas around the globe. Lunar New Year activities center around themes of family, togetherness, and the celebration of cultural traditions. The date of the Lunar New Year differs every year based on the lunar calendar. In 2025, it occurred on January 29.
In many cultures, each year is also associated with an animal from the zodiac. Often the animals are the same across different Asian countries. This year marks the Year of the Snake.
The sequence of the animals is:
- Rat
- Ox (or Buffalo in the Vietnamese zodiac)
- Tiger
- Rabbit (or Cat in the Vietnamese zodiac)
- Dragon (or Naga in Thailand, which is a mythical snake-like monster worshipped to bring fertility and wealth)
- Snake
- Horse
- Sheep
- Monkey
- Rooster
- Dog
- Pig (or Boar in the Japanese zodiac).
In Myanmar, instead of an annual zodiac, animals are assigned to each day of the week. There are eight animals (with Wednesday being split into morning and afternoon): Garuda (mythical bird), Tiger, Lion, Elephant (with tusks), Elephant (without tusks), Rat, Guinea Pig, and Dragon.
National Capital Region Lunar New Year Launch Event
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Photo of Ms. Hsu playing the guzheng.
The inaugural Lunar New Year celebration took place at NDHQ (Carling) on 29 January 2025. The celebration event included the launch of the Defence Team Canadian Asian Network (DTCAN), featured keynote speaker Commodore (ret’d) Dr. Hans Jung, and speeches from the Defence Team Co-Champion for Racialized Persons, Rear-Admiral Jacques Olivier and Canadian Forces Support Group (Ottawa-Gatineau) Commander Colonel, Jeffrey Toope.
The event offered a blend of education and inspiration for all who attended, including a special musical performance by Ms. Lorita Hsu who captivated the audience by playing a beautiful composition on the guzheng. Traditionally a Chinese instrument, the Guzheng is similar to other Asian plucked zithers.
Red envelopes with chocolate coins were gifted by DTCAN volunteers to Defence Team members in attendance. Red envelopes are a traditional monetary gift and symbolize happiness and good fortune for the year ahead. They are widely used during important and significant Southeast and East Asian cultural events.
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Photo of the information table, which included red envelopes.
There were also tables with more information regarding the newly formed network, anti-Asian racism, and Lunar New Year. Rounding off the festivities, Defence Team members were able to try some traditional Lunar New Year treats and learn about the significance of food in these celebrations.
DTCAN is eager to continue fostering a sense of community and cultural appreciation through future events and by creating more opportunities for members to come together, learn, and celebrate diverse traditions.
Defence Team Canadian Asian Network
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