It’s time to break out the dumplings, it’s the start of the Lunar New Year!
Chinese New Year is celebrated across China and around the world, and 2017 is the year of the rooster. The Chinese calendar follows the Chinese zodiac, and each year represents one of the 12 zodiac symbols.
The 12 Symbols: 
- Rat
- Ox
- Tiger
- Rabbit
- Dragon
- Snake
- Horse
- Goat
- Monkey
- Rooster
- Dog
- Pig
There are many traditional activities during the celebrations such as the Chinese New Year lion dance and exchanging red envelopes filled with money, a gesture of love and good fortune.
For international student Shen Liu, it will be his first time celebrating without his family, but his friends in Canada are helping him feel a little less homesick.
“A lot of Canadian friends do know something about Chinese New Year and I’m very happy about this,” Liu says in appreciation.
Together they will cook a traditional Chinese meal.
“We’re going to eat hot pot. Before that we’re going to go to a supermarket. We’ll get all kinds of food, and then we’ll go back and prepare the food together.”
It’s a tradition on Chinese New Year to eat fish because it is thought to bring a surplus of money and good fortune in the coming year.
Liu says he has sent his family red envelopes in the mail and is looking forward to video chatting with them to celebrate.