Year of the Rabbit welcomed

THE popular Lunar New Year Festival returned to the local event calendar recently after being put on hold for two years because of COVID.

In the Chinese calendar, the New Year begins on the new moon between late January and late February. This year’s Chinese New Year fell on 22 January, and large crowds attended the celebrations on Parliament Lawns organised by the Chinese Community Association of Tasmania.

“It was wonderful to be able to once again attend the Lunar New Year Celebrations which is an important date for family and friends of our Chinese community,” Attorney-General and local Liberal Member for Clark Elise Archer said.

“Lunar New Year celebrations are a colourful and vibrant expression of culture across many Asian countries, and I am pleased that this year sees its return after the disruption of the last couple of years.

“2023 is the Year of the Rabbit and a new year provides us all with an opportunity to reflect on the year that was and to look to the year ahead. It is hoped that the year of the Rabbit brings kindness in our personal exchanges through all levels of our community.

“The CCAT has made a significant contribution to Tasmania for over 50 years and I would like to specifically acknowledge and thank them for all the work that they do.