17 Feb 2015

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Christchurch City Libraries (CCL) wishes all a happy and prosperous New Year!

In conjunction with the Christchurch Migrants Centre (CMC), the city’s libraries are hosting a range of spectacular cultural performances, lion dances, lantern making craft sessions and other family-friendly programmes to celebrate the Chinese New Year.

The Christchurch Lantern Festival has traditionally been the main event for locals to celebrate the Chinese New Year as well as being able to immerse themselves in the city’s cultural and ethnic diversity.  Due to a packed schedule of events taking place in Christchurch during February and March this year, the very popular Chinese Lantern Festival has been postponed until 2016. The CMC approached the Libraries network to host a series of celebrations instead. 

Months of planning with various community partners, dance troupes and other ethnic organisations has enable the city to still provide inclusive spaces and programmes for residents to celebrate the Lunar New Year.

Formal opening proceedings will be held at the Upper Riccarton Library, Saturday 21 February, between 10.45-11am followed by performances including a Lion Dance, Japanese Drums, Chinese traditional instruments, songs and dance.

Friday 20 February, 3pm-5pm, Fendalton Library

  • Cultural performances; Chinese lantern making; Exploring the secrets of your Chinese zodiac animal

Saturday 21 February, 11am-3pm, Upper Riccarton Library*

  • Cultural performances; Exploring Chinese zodiac animals and star signs; family craft sessions

Sunday 22 February, 10.30am-2pm, Central Library Peterborough

  • Cultural performances; Chinese lantern making; Māori feather cloak(korowai) making using paper

‘More than just books’, CCL also holds a wide range of free print and electronic resources to support new migrants and speakers of other languages, which it hopes to introduce to those who join in the weekend’s festivities!  These include extensive print collections in multiple languages, online newspapers, eBooks and online language courses including English for speakers of other languages. 
For more information, please visit www.christchurchcitylibraries.com