Today officially marks Lunar New Year, where millions of people around the world celebrate the start of the new year in the lunar calendar.
In 2025, the year of the snake sneaks through, representing wisdom, transformation, calmness and creativity. Here are some events and things to check out across the North Shore.
West Vancouver Memorial Library
This West Van library is hosting tons of events for Lunar New Year, kicking off with an all-ages story time where attendees can learn about the tradition through stories, rhymes and songs on Saturday, Feb. 1 from 10:30 to 11 a.m. It will take place in the library’s Welsh Hall. No registration is required.
Eight instructors from the Shuang Music School will play traditional melodies at the library’s main hall on the pipa (Chinese lute), erhu (Chinese violin), zheng (Chinese zither), violin and piano. Performers Amaris Cao, Jian Feng, Emily Kong, Shelly Shen, Amy Tang, Natalie Xu and Amy Yuan will take the stage. The event will take place Thursday, Feb. 6 from 4 to 5 p.m.
Juno-nominated trio Orchid Ensemble will also be performing at the main hall Feb. 11 from 1 to 2 p.m. The trio have been performing since 1997, blending Eastern and Western music with upbeat songs and traditional instruments. People can email the library for more information about the event.
Annual lantern display in City of North Vancouver
The city is putting together its annual Lunar New Year installation in Living Lane, located between 100 and 130 Lonsdale Avenue, with 20 festive, glowing red lanterns for people to walk through. A CNV spokesperson said they plan to have the lanterns installed by this weekend and up until the end of February.
City of North Vancouver Public Library
Want to play or learn Mahjong? The City of North Vancouver Public Library has got you covered.
The library is holding an introductory session on how to play the popular tile-based game on Feb. 1 from 2 to 4 p.m. Instructors from the UBC Mahjong Club will show people how to play. The beginner program is open to anyone aged 10 and older. While the event is currently full, people can sign up on the waitlist if a space becomes available.
Abby Luciano is the Indigenous and civic affairs reporter for the North Shore News. This reporting beat is made possible by the Local Journalism Initiative.
