New Year in Kolkata, the Chinese way

2011 is the year of the rabbit, according to Chinese calendar. Kolkata has a sizeable Chinese population and their new-year celebrations, laced with love, joy and above all camaraderie, are often lovely reminders of how generations of Chinese immigrants, who arrived at the Calcutta port, in the late 18th century, benefitted the city, vastly contributing to its rich treasure-trove of culture.
All those from China, who will visit Kolkata during the Chinese new-year, as a part of their study abroad <http://www.mindsabroad.com/StudyAbroad/why-study-chinese.htm> program, will not miss out on the fervor and festivity of traditional Chinese new-year celebrations, as it is celebrated with equal magnanimity, pomp and grandeur in Kolkata as in China. Meeting new friends and discovering Kolkata in a new light are also some of the highlights of this celebration, as people from all walks of life come together and share in the camaraderie and warmth. Students keen on learning Chinese <http://www.mindsabroad.com/StudyAbroad/why-study-chinese.htm > and connecting with the Chinese community must brace themselves for a sudden explosion of vibrant color, light and music. The entire city dances to the tunes of fire-crackers, during the Chinese new-years and the streets of Chinese neighborhoods reverberate with congratulatory messages and cries of joy, as people wish each other long-term prosperity and luck.
Kolkata as a study-abroad < http://www.mindsabroad.com >destination certainly has a lot to offer. Students will not only witness the astonishingly rich culture of India, but will also, get a hang of the striking diversity that lends it a character of its own. This will definitely add a new dimension to their study-abroad < http://www.mindsabroad.com > experience in India. Kolkata’s diversity is personified by the handful of Chinese immigrants, who came to the city in search of a better livelihood. They embraced the Bengali culture as their own, while fiercely protecting their own identity, which often finds its expression through their much anticipated and delightful new-year celebrations.

This year ushers the Chinese community into the year 4709, according to their traditional calendar. As it is with all the previous years, this time too the celebrations in the city were gala, full of laughter, unbridled joy and celebrated authentic Chinese food. The celebrations are always marked by the lion dance followed by get-togethers and gatherings of all Chinese expatriates. The lion dance show has been particularly famous in certain Chinese pockets of Kolkata and the festivities are in no way low key and underrated. The community has a marked presence in the Bengali society as is evident from the gusto with which the Chinese communities in Kolkata observe this festival. The Chinese, residing in Kolkata for generations, get into the festive mood, as they adorn their streets and houses with quintessential Chinese lanterns, decorative red buntings and fairy lights and burst crackers in order to keep evil spirits at bay.
The Lunar New Year, according to the Chinese calendar, has been celebrated on the 3rd of February, this year. The celebrations were in no way small scale, although the number of Chinese people in Kolkata presently notches at around 4000 and is certainly no match to the crowd of 30,000 Chinese immigrants, reveling in the joy of their new-year celebration, in the year 1960s. However, that has never dampened the festive spirit of the Chinese community. Their new-year celebrations have been as grand as ever.