People across the North Shore are being invited to celebrate Lunar New Year with their respective libraries, as West Vancouver and North Vancouver city and districts welcome in the Year of the Tiger.
The Year of the Tiger officially begins Feb. 1 and runs until Jan. 21, 2023. This year is a Water Tiger year, with the last Tiger year happening in 2010.
West Vancouver Memorial Library is holding events in person and online, starting tomorrow (Jan. 27) and through to Feb. 15.
In the main hall of the library, guests will be able to hear ambient music by Nathania Ko on the konghou and Selena Yu on the guzheng.
Taren Urquhart, the library’s arts and special events programmer said that music has the ability to “connect us” in ways no other activity can.
“The winter performances presented in December were a special treat for library patrons. We are excited to continue these intimate performances by student and professional musicians during Lunar New Year,” Urquhart said.
Riddles, lanterns, and a curated display of books will also be found at Memorial Library during the celebration.
Children’s programming is also front of mind, with a Lunar New Year Storytime with Anthea Leung on Wednesday, Jan. 26 at 10 a.m. on the library’s YouTube Channel.
“Lunar New Year is an important time of renewal and reflection,” librarian Kate Quinn-Feehan, who curated this year’s Lunar New Year activities, said. “It’s important to take time to celebrate with our community—without them, we are just a building of books and computers.”
Meanwhile, all North Vancouver District Public Libraries are celebrating the new year with curated displays of Asian writers and creators.
NVDPL Children’s Libraries have also created a Celebrate the Year of the Tiger resource list, which includes titles such as Tigers can’t purr! and The Animals of Chinese New Year.
North Vancouver City Library is celebrating with a virtual Lunar New Year family storytime on Feb. 1.
Held via Zoom, the event will touch on tradition through songs, rhymes and stories. The event runs from 10 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. and registration is required.
