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SOUTHAMPTON’S original KICK-bottom Listings, Reviews & FREE Comment PAPER! GIGS, SHOWS, FAMILY EVENTS & ER... LEGAL ADVICE PA P E R your merry christmas and a truly happy new year BI-monthly. DAILY LISTINGS issue 18 : december / january 2017 FOR DEC & JAN

(Center pages) Southampton’s biggest festival is coming! (Above) Waterside Club/facebook.com (no dragons were harmed in the making of this cover) This year, we are very fortunate to ous Chinese New Year celebrations, be awarded the Celebrate grant cultural festivals and wedding cere- from the Big Lottery Fund. We are monies. also very thankful to the Southampton University Confucius Why is Chinese New Year a dif- Institute for co-organizing this event ferent day to ours? with us, as well as supports from the Southampton City Council, The Chinese New Year is based on the lunar calendar, which Southampton Solent University, depends on the cycles of lunar phas- West Quay Shopping Centre, es according to the movement of Chinese Students and Scholars the Moon. This is different from Association of Southampton, Gregorian calendar, which is a solar Portsmouth Chinese Association and calendar based on the revolution of various local Chinese restaurants the Earth around the sun. With the and shops and of course The AND exception of February, each month Guide. All this support has helped in the Western calendar has 30 or us to put together a large-scale 5- 31 days, and there are 12 months weekend celebration from 14 every year. Since the months of the January to 11 February. We also are derived from have four cultural exhibitions during the lunar cycle, which lasts 29.53 16 January to 10 February at the days on average, its months are Solent University Andrews either 29 or 30 days long. Like the Concourse. Western calendar, the Chinese cal- The main theme of this pro- endar’s ordinary year has 12 gramme is “Celebrating Chinese months, but a leap year, every two New Year Together In or three years, will include an extra Southampton”. Hey

So tell me about the Dragon and Lion dancing? Lion dance is a very special form of traditional performance in in which performers manipulate as a legend-form of lion. The lion dance is usually performed during the Chinese New Year and other Chinese traditional, cultural and religious festivals. It may also 14 January 2017 will be performed at important occa- see Southampton’s sions such as business opening events, special celebrations or wed- enthusiastic Chinese ding ceremonies. The history of lion dance goes community celebrate back thousands of years in Chinese its biggest Chinese culture. The lion, like the , was only an animal which New Year Festival existed in myth, there were no actu- al in . Before the Han ever. Five weeks of Dynasty (202 BC – 220 AD), only a events and activities few lions had reached China from the west, due to Silk Road trade. At across Southampton that time, people mimicked the appearance and actions of the area are set to bond newly arrived lions in a perform- ance, which developed into the lion the community with dance in the Period the city, in a wave of (220–280) and then became popular with the rise of Buddhism in the friendship, inclusion, Northern and Southern Dynasties (420–589). In the Tang Dynasty education and (618–907), the lion dance was one of entertainment. the court . The lion dance has spread across the world with Chinese immigration. I cornered Andy Lai, Vice in , Chair of the Southampton America, etc. have established many lion dance clubs, performing on Chinese Association, to tell Chinese festivals or big occasions, me why 2017 was going to be particularly Chinese New Year. different to previous years Lion dance is sometimes mistak- and also about the back- enly referred to as . An easy way to tell the difference is ground to it, for instance... that a lion is normally operated by what is that Dragon dance two dancers, while a dragon needs all about? many people to operate. Also, in a lion dance, the performers’ faces are only seen occasionally, since they ebration, which lasts for 15 days, sweets and expensive dry seafood. are inside the lion. In a dragon 13th month. The ordinary year in People would take this opportunity dance, the performers’ faces can be the Chinese calendar runs between married relatives will normally give to give their relatives and friends easily seen since the dragon is held 353 and 355 days; a leap year has out red envelopes (lei sze) to unmar- their good wishes. on poles. In addition, there is a per- from 383 to 385 days. As a result, ried children. Traditionally, there are the Chinese New Year Day would some monies inside the red son to hold a dragon ball to lead the Is there the equivalent of a dragon during the performance. never be the same day as the envelops, which are meant for sup- In Southampton, we are very Western New Year Day. pressing evil spirits. It is a custom Chinese Father Christmas? The first day of the Chinese New lucky to have Waterside Lion Dance for children to wish elders a year of There is no such character as a Year in 2017 is on 28th January and Group which is found by Ricky Tang happiness and good health before Chinese Father Christmas. However, it is the year of the Rooster. from Marchwood. Ricky has taught accepting the . In the we do have a God of Wealth. The hundred of youngsters from all com- modern world, Chinese people send 5th lunar day of Chinese New Year munities in Southampton and New Do Chinese people have a simi- lei sze through Internet transaction is the Welcome Day for the God of Forest area how to perform a tradi- lar day to Christmas? ie with via social website like Wechat. Wealth. Many families worship the tional lion dance. Waterside Lion everyone giving presents etc? In addition, friends and relatives God of Wealth in the early morning. Dance Group has performed in will visit each other and exchange After the ceremony, people explode numerous occasions including previ- During the Chinese New Year cel- presents. Most of the presents are to invite the God of with family members away from during the Spring Festival. It is a home. In the New Year’s Eve dinner, dish especially popular in East customarily, fish will be served. China: Jiangxi, Jiangsu, Shanghai, Dumplings are the most important , , , Hong dish in Northern China. These two Kong, etc. dishes mean "prosperous." Other Spring rolls are a dim dishes are served depending on per- sum dish of cylindrical-shaped rolls sonal preference. The majority of filled with vegetables, meat, or the Chinese will gather together to something sweet. Fillings are eat New Year’s Eve dinner at home wrapped in thin dough wrappers, instead of a restaurant. then fried, when the spring rolls are given their golden-yellow color. Chinese Fish Chines cakes In Chinese, "fish" sounds like ‘sur- plus’. Chinese people always like to NiángÇo or Chinese New Year have a surplus at the end of the cakes (Glutinous Rice Cake). In year, because they think if they Chinese, niangao sounds like “get- have managed to save something at ting higher year-by-year”. In Chinese the end of the year, then they can people’s minds, this means the high- make more in the coming year. er you are the more prosperous your business is. The main ingredients of Chinese Dumplings niangao are sticky rice, sugar, chest- nuts, Chinese dates, and lotus With a history of more than 1,800 leaves. years, dumplings constitute a classic GongXi Fa Cai Chinese food, and a traditional dish TÇngyuán Sweet Rice Balls Tangyuan is the main food for China’s Lantern Festival. However, in , people eat them throughout the Spring Festival. The pronunciation and the round shape of tangyuan are associated with reunion and being together. That is why the Chinese people favor them during the New Year celebrations.

Who is the most notable Chinese person in Southampton’s Mr Yiu Lam LEE. He is the oldest Chinese person at Southampton, at an incredible 93 years old. But we have a strong community of Chinese people in Southampton performing important roles for the city. Apart from working at restau- rants and takeaways, there are ARE YOU A ROOSTER? many Chinese people working as university professors, medical doc- Sadly, if you are (and I am doh…) tors, police officers, lawyers, According to Chinese astrology, the year accountants etc. I myself was a of one’s birth sign is the most unlucky policeman. year in the 12-year cycle, with fortune in all aspects of your life will not so good. How long has there been a (Which is great news as 2016 wasn’t all Chinese community in that brilliant! 2018 it is then.) Southampton? The Rooster is tenth in the Chinese zodi- The known oldest Chinese family ac. Each year is related to an animal sign in Southampton is the Ngan’s family, according to a 12-year cycle. Years of who came to Southampton in the the Rooster include 1921, 1933, 1945, 1950’s. The senior Mr. Ngan came to 1957, 1969, 1981, 1993, 2005, 2017, Southampton and started a laun- and 2029. derette business. Of course, Ngan’s family is getting bigger and bigger Lucky Colors: gold, brown, yellow now! Lucky Numbers: 5, 7, and 8 In fact, this is something that we want to develop and therefor the Lucky Flowers: gladiola, cockscomb Chinese Association of Southampton Personality: Observant, hardworking, will commence an oral history proj- confident, courageous, talent, frank and ect in 2017. After this, we will have honest more information about the Chinese community in Southampton. Roosters are loyal and make devoted It is something we want to learn friends. They always keep their promises more about and to share it with our and are always true to their word. Southampton neighbours. Our aim is Sensitive individuals may find it hard to to develop bridges and community get along well with Roosters, because Wealth to enter the house. song, traditional Chinese eaten on Chinese New Year’s Eve, within the city and this major New they always brag about themselves and Nowadays, some big shopping cen- show etc. widely popular in China, especially Year’s Eve Festival we hope will be their accomplishments, which may make tres hire people to dress as the God We would like to thank our spon- in North China. a major boost to that. After this, we others uncomfortable. of Wealth and distribute lei sze sors and supporters: Yau Brothers, will have more information about Chinese dumplings can be made Most suited careers: Sales, restaurant (good luck offerring, usually money Lime Bar, Shanghai Bay, Sukee to look like Chinese silver ingots the Chinese community in and usually in red envelopes) to Southampton. owner, athlete, teacher, waiter, journal- Market, Gourmet Kitchen, 88 (which are not bars, but boat-shaped, their customers during the Chinese Chinese Restaurant, Fusion Noodle ist and surgeon. oval and turned up at the two ends). New Year period. Bar, the And Guide Magazine, Legend has it that the more (Crikey how scarily is that? Apart from TriExForces Group Ltd. dumplings you eat during the New the bragging of course. I like to think I What acts are performing and am the world’s least bragger.) where over the new year festival? What is a typical meal for the Year celebrations, the more money Chinese on New Year’s Eve? you can make in the New Year! In 2017 we will have 5 celebra- tions at Southampton as shown in The New Year’s Eve dinner is the Spring Rolls For details visit: We will have lion and dragon most important dinner for the dances, kungfu displays, traditional Chinese. Normally, this is the family Spring rolls get their name www.southamptonchinese.org.uk Chinese/Asian dances, music and , especially for those because they are traditionally eaten