Although the Chinese Lunar New Year officially began on February 17th this year, Bruce County Museum and Cultural Centre (BCM&CC) also celebrated the occasion with a Chinese cultural experience on Family Day, February 16th with Chinese decorations adding cultural flavour and the colour red everywhere.
Red in Chinese culture is considered the luckiest colour and is a symbol of energy, joy, celebration, vitality, success and good fortune and the Lunar New Year marks the end of winter and beginning of Spring.
This year, 2026, in traditional Chinese culture, it is the Year of the (Fire) Horse and, in that traditional culture, the horse symbolizes strength, speed, courage, loyalty, freedom and talent. Those born under this zodiac sign are often said to be brave, steady, upright, faithful and independent.
On Family Day, hundreds of people took the opportunity to visit the BCM&CC in Southampton to participate in Chinese crafts, enjoy music and taste traditional Chinese treats.
Harry Hu, greeted visitors with ‘Lucky Money’ a Chinese tradition of presenting money in red envelopes to children on New Years. It represents wishes for luck, wealth, health, and prosperity, especially for children and elders. The colour red is the fire element in Chinese philosophy and the red envelope symbolizes good luck and protection and is thought to ward off evil spirits.
For many, it was also the chance to find their Chinese zodiac animal symbol. A Chinese zodiac animal sign depends on the year of birth and follows a 12-year cycle of Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog and Pig.
Upstairs in the Bruce Gallery, visitors of all ages were kept busy making paper lanterns, trying traditional Chinese rubbing and paper cutting.
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In the OPG gallery downstairs, there were tasty traditional Chinese treats and a demonstration of music on the Gozheng musical instrument.
While many visitors had fun making Chinese dragons, in Chinese culture they hold immense symbolism and are seen as powerful spiritual symbols representing strength, wisdom, protection and good fortune and are associated with intelligence, ambition and charisma.
Visitors also had fun participating in a museum-wide Lunar New Year Bingo adventure that had them completing challenges and exploring exhibits for a chance to win a prize.
With traditional foods, music and hands-on activities, it was a festive, fun-filled Family Day sponsored by Ontario Power Generation (OPG) and one that offered a peak into another culture by celebrating one of the world’s most significant holidays, the Chinese Lunar New Year.
