The Year of the Snake

Happy Lunar New Year!

In 2025 the Lunar New Year, also known as , the Spring Festival, Chinese New Year, and many other names, begins on January 29 and will continue for several weeks all over the globe. Canadians join with many millions of people in Asia, and millions more of Asian Heritage around the world, to celebrate the Year of the Snake.


The celebrations around this event include many different local practices and are known by many names around the world, including Tet (Vietnam); Seollal (Korea); Koshogatsu or “Little New Year” (Japan).  Multiday, and even multiweek festivals will take place around the world on the days and weeks of late January and early February. The Lantern Festival is an example of an associated event that takes place several weeks into the new year.

In North America it is often called Chinese New Year, although the Chinese themselves are more likely to refer to it as the Spring Festival. Moreover, the term “Lunar New Year” is more reflective of the multi-ethnic and multicultural nature of the celebrations. In Canada this is especially important, as many Canadians trace their roots to many different parts of the world, including China, but also to many other places in East Asia such as Korea, the Philippines, Vietnam and Japan.

Find out more:

LunarFest Vancouver

The Lunar New Year in Canada

Korean New Year

Chinese New Year

Tet

BBC Lunar New Year

Stompin’ Tom

On this day in 2013 Canada lost one its greatest cultural icons and one of its fiercest patriots.  Stompin’ Tom Connors passed away at the age of 77.  Best known for “The Hockey Song,” Stompin’ Tom wrote songs about all things Canadian.

source: stompintom.com

Besides “The Hockey Song” which can still be heard in arenas all over Canada, some of his other wonderful country-folk songs include “Bud the Spud,”  “Sudbury Saturday Night,”  and “Moon Man Newfie.”  Tom Connors was born in 1936 in Saint John, New Brunswick.  He travelled the country from sea to sea to sea, singing his songs and celebrating Canada and Canadians.

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Stompin’ Tom

A year ago today Canada lost one its greatest cultural icons and one of its fiercest patriots, as Stompin’ Tom Connors passed away at the age of 77.  Best known for “The Hockey Song,” Stompin’ Tom wrote songs about all things Canadian.

source: stompintom.com

Besides “The Hockey Song” which can still be heard in arenas all over Canada, some of his other wonderful country-folk songs include “Bud the Spud,”  “Sudbury Saturday Night,”  and “Moon Man Newfie.”  Tom Connors was born in 1936 in Saint John, New Brunswick.  He travelled the country from sea to sea to sea, singing his songs and celebrating Canada and Canadians.

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