Chinese New Year of the Pig celebrations in Brighton and Hove

Residents of Brighton and Hove have been celebrating Chinese New Year marking the start of the Year of the Pig.
Chinese New YearChinese New Year
Chinese New Year

On Saturday, pupils from Hove Park School and Brighton College were treated to a lion dance at the Clarendon Centre, put on by the Chinese Educational Development Project.

More than 1,500 people attended the show to mark the start of Lunar New Year and today (February 5) is the first day of the Year of the Pig.

Chinese New YearChinese New Year
Chinese New Year
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Domg Ming, CEDP Volunteer and Martial Arts teacher said: “The event was very successful, over 700 people watched the show in our hall.

“The Year of the Pig is lucky and rich, it’s going to be a good year.”

Taking over from the Year of the Dog in the Chinese zodiac calender, the pig is the last animal in the cycle, next year it’s the turn of the rat.

According to legend, the Jade Emperor of China held a ‘great race’ for the animals and the rat was the first to make it across the river to the finishing line.

Residents of Patching Lodge care home in Brighton took a Tai Chi class to mark the Chinese New YearResidents of Patching Lodge care home in Brighton took a Tai Chi class to mark the Chinese New Year
Residents of Patching Lodge care home in Brighton took a Tai Chi class to mark the Chinese New Year
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Lunar new year is the Chinese equivalent of Christmas Domg Ming said, with all the family members coming together to eat dumplings and feast on fish, chicken, plum sauce, duck.

Children are given red envelopes with money for good luck from their older relatives, and firecrackers are let off in the street.

Residents of Patching Lodge care home in Brighton had a more relaxing start to festivities, with a Tai Chi class.

Taking the class for the first time, 59-year-old Diane Wyatt said: “Keeping fit and healthy has been a strong focus of mine for some time, but if you had told me a few years ago that I would now be taking up martial arts I would have laughed!

“It was great to join in with other residents and I’ve certainly stretched muscles I never knew I had.”