Drums reverberated through Montreal’s Chinatown on Saturday as residents and visitors alike gathered to celebrate Lunar Recent Year, marking the beginning of the Year of the Fire Horse. The festivities, organized by Asie en fête, are intended to invigorate the historic neighbourhood during the winter months and showcase Asian traditions.
Crowds lined the streets to witness a parade featuring traditional lion dances, with participants hoping to receive blessings for the new year. According to Jimmy Chan, president of the Montreal Chan Lion Dance Club, touching the lion is a cultural tradition with roots stretching back over 3,000 years in China. “People want to touch the lion for good luck,” Chan said.
The free event centred around Place Sun Yat-Sen and included cultural performances, family-friendly workshops, and glowing light installations. Organizers emphasized the energy associated with the Year of the Fire Horse. “The Fire Horse is a lot of energy and it is the year to do great things, so a lot of people come together, get blessing, have lines dancing,” Chan explained.
The Lunar New Year celebrations in Montreal also extend beyond the parade and performances. Local restaurants and shops are anticipating increased business as attendees explore the neighbourhood. Several establishments specialize in traditional Lunar New Year foods, such as dumplings – often folded to resemble gold ingots, with the belief that eating more dumplings brings greater luck – and fish, whose pronunciation in Chinese is a homonym for “abundance.” Restaurants like Keung Kee and Restaurant Mon Nan offer fresh seafood, while Sammi & Soupe Dumpling, Mai Xiang Yuan, and Harbin Dumpling are popular choices for dumplings.
The celebrations come as the Chinese and Asian communities mark an important time of year with traditions like exchanging red envelopes, or “lucky money,” and cleaning homes to symbolize a fresh start. The festivities in Montreal’s Chinatown are scheduled to continue through March 3.
