North Shore, B.C.—The North Shore libraries are offering many ways to celebrate Lunar New Year.
West Vancouver Memorial Library is hosting events starting January 21 through February 4, including an Origami Workshop for kids ages six and up, a drop-in Lunar New Year storytime, a Lantern Festival Learn and Craft for kids ages four and up, and an intercultural mashup celebration of Lunar New Year and Robbie Burns Day that is already fully registered.
Lantern Festival riddles will be displayed throughout the library from February 3 to 6. You can learn more about WVML’s Lunar New Year offerings at wvml.ca/lunar.
Librarians have curated booklists to celebrate local Asian-Canadian authors and share Lunar New Year books with kids.
Visitors to WVML can also enjoy ambient live music performances including the Silk Road Duo on pipa and guitar on January 24 at 2 p.m., Geling Jiang on guzheng and Ling Yang on pipa on January 25 at 11 a.m., and Selena Yu on guzheng on January 26 at 2 p.m.
Lorena Yu, a WVML Board Trustee, was one of more than 20 volunteers who helped decorate the library for Lunar New Year. She says, “Lunar New Year is considered the most important holiday of the year in many East and South Asian countries—including Chinese Chunjie, Vietnamese Tet, and Korean Seollal.”
One Lunar New Year tradition, she notes, is decorating your home for good luck, fortune, and health. “When patrons are invited to decorate our library, they feel socially connected and have a sense of belonging in our community. The Lunar New Year programs hosted by the library are celebrating not only Asian cultural heritage, but also the diversity and inclusivity in our community.”
At North Vancouver City Library, patrons are invited to celebrate Lunar New Year with two community programs on Saturday, January 21: a drop-in family storytime at 10:30 a.m. followed by a Lunar New Year Celebration. Additionally, staff have decorated the library entrance with red lanterns and decorations to mark the Year of the Rabbit. Book recommendations about the cultural significance and history of Lunar New Year are also available.
North Vancouver District Public Library has a wide variety of materials to support community learning and celebration of the Lunar New Year. Patrons can explore the beauty and significance of Lunar New Year by checking out a book at one of NVDPL’s displays or check out the reading list online.