The countdown is on for our huge Chinese New Year festival which is traditionally celebrated at the turn of the traditional lunisolar Chinese calendar. This year in Birmingham we are going BIG with a full weekend of free celebrations. In preparation, we have compiled a list of ten essential facts…

  1. 2018 represents The Year of the Dog.
  2. The Year of the Dog begins on 16 Feb 2018 and ends 4 Feb 2019, so any babies born between those dates will have the dog as their Chinese zodiac sign.
  3. The zodiac sign is believed to affect your personality. Since ancient times, people have developed horoscopes based on zodiac sign traits, to predict destinies.
  4. The holiday is also known as Spring Festival, marking the beginning of Spring.
  5. The dragon is the only mythological animal in the zodiac.
  6. One sixth of the world’s population celebrates Chinese New Year.
  7. The celebration decorations are mostly red.
  8. No single hour in any other country sees as many tonnes of fireworks as in China signalling the beginning of the new year.
  9. Fireworks are used to scare evil spirits; many believe that the flash and bang of firecrackers and fireworks scare away demons and evil ghosts.
  10. Birmingham has one of the biggest Chinese communities in the UK and up to 30,000 revellers are expected to enjoy the festivities.

During our exciting celebration, there will be performances from professional Chinese artists, renowned dance companies and local community groups showcasing acrobats, circus acts, contortionists and fire performers.

Find out more about the exciting Chinese New Year celebrations taking place in Birmingham on our website here and join in the conversation on Twitter #CNYBirmingham2018

Birmingham Hippodrome festival activities are sponsored by The Forum development, Birmingham’s first build-to-rent scheme funded by Rockspring Property Investment Managers LLP.