Lunar New Year festivities are well underway in Toronto’s Chinatown this weekend as waves of residents today made their way to Dragon City Mall to celebrate the Year of the Snake.
Celebrations kicked off with a vibrant opening ceremony on Saturday afternoon where hundreds of attendees enjoyed a variety of traditional dishes, live music and cultural performances.
Among those performances was the always popular and energetic lion dance, a traditional Chinese dance where performers groove in a large dragon costume to purportedly ward off evil spirits. Believed to bring good luck and fortune, the dance brought an invigorated crowd to its feet inside the mall.
Representatives from the Chinatown BIA welcomed the public with some opening remarks, while city Coun. Ausma Malik (Spadina-Fort York) and Coun. Josh Matlow (Toronto-St. Paul’s) were among the dignitaries to help ring in the 2025 celebration.
Members of the HMCS York Naval Reserve Band were also in attendance and performed the Canadian national anthem.
The Lunar New Year, also known as Chinese New Year, began on Jan. 29. The date differs every year because the celebration is marked by the first new moon of the lunar calendar. Celebrations will last for 15 days around Toronto and across the world.
Johnny Kwok, vice-chair of the Chinatown BIA, told TorontoToday the Year of the Snake represents wisdom, transformation and calmness.
According to Kwok, that’s good news for Toronto.
“We believe the year of the snake will solve most of the problems,” Kwok said. “Toronto is the rising city and we will have peace and prosperity. We have a lot of challenges but we believe this year will be better than last year.”
Finishing up an order of soup dumplings prior to chatting with TorontoToday on Saturday were attendees Sylvia and Steve. Sylvia, who is Chinese and a downtown resident, has fond memories of enjoying Lunar New Year celebrations at Pacific Mall with her parents when she used to live in the suburbs.
Steve, a Mississauga resident with a Filipino background, had never attended the festivities before. Together, the young couple got to share their first-ever Lunar New Year at Dragon City — and they had no regrets from the experience.
“There’s a lot of culture to absorb here,” Sylvia said. “It’s a little corner of Toronto that really showcases how much of a mixing pot we are. I love the lion dances, so I was really looking forward to seeing them.”
“This is my first time and my first year finding out that this actually happens,” Steve added. “I always thought lion dancing only happened in movies.”
“It’s his first year dating a Chinese girl — that’s why,” Sylvia laughed.
Other visitors on Saturday included Phoenix and Basil, two friends who don’t have a Chinese background but share a great appreciation for the annual celebration.
“I grew up right next to Chinatown East and I have many friends who are Chinese, so I’ve grown up loving the culture and the holiday,” Phoenix said. “There’s such a feeling of welcoming and togetherness.”
“The decorations are so pretty and the performers are gorgeous — they’re all super talented,” Basil added.
Locals can catch the Lunar New Year celebrations between 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday at Dragon City Mall and at Chinatown Centre. Visitors can expect to enjoy food, music, cultural shows, kung fu performances, calligraphy and belly dancing.
