Celebrate your home away from home this Lunar New Year with Dublin's festive events..
The year of the snake symbolises wisdom, intuition, and grace. Dive into the traditional festivities right here in Dublin City Centre. Whether you’re reeling in the New Year as a local, or a visitor, we invite you to join us on the discovery of the captivating culture of Dublin’s Lunar festival.
The purpose of these events is to create a home away from home to all that celebrate (and those who are just nosy). Whilst the Lunar New Year officially starts on January 29th, Dublin’s celebration kicks off as early as January 18th and last all month long with the final event concluding on February 12th.
Do Dublin will let you know what seems like a bit of craic this holiday – sure no one celebrates like the Irish! This family friendly festival welcomes businesses to contribute and add to the festivities.
Kicking off the events with the Film screening of Flowers of Shanghai in the Irish Film Institute on January 18th. East Asia Film Festival is partnered up with Asia market and Dublin Lunar New Year to bring you the novel based comedy from 1998. The Film Festival is just a 3-minute walk from stop 12 Cork Hill on our tour.
Uncover the four snake species homed in Dublin Zoo (stop 20) on January 25th. The zodiac animals, also known as Sheng Xiao, is a repeating 12-year rotation based on the lunar calendar. It is believed that the Chinese zodiac originated from animal worship. The jade Emperor summoned the animals for a race and the order of completion determined their place in the lunar calendar. The celebration of the snake is met with their behaviour, habitats, and misunderstandings in this exhilarating workshop.
For traditional music lovers, Chester Beatty is holding a FREE musical concert showcasing Lunar New Year music. This event takes place on the new year itself – January 29th from 6pm-7pm. Chester Beatty is an ideal location, only a 4-minute walk from stop 13 Christ Church Place! This musical experience features the Koto and Shakuhachi – traditional Japanese instruments. To integrate cultures Irish music will be played by these traditional instruments on the night.
Finish your Lunar celebrations off with the Drury Street Lunar Carnival on February 9th. This is located just a few minutes’ walk from stop 11 Dame Street. A day full of vibrant colours, flavoursome cuisine, creative showcases of intricate artwork and crafts in market stalls and last but not least intricate lion and dragon dance performances. This cultural show is said to spread good luck for the year to come.
Fun Fact: Historically, the brightest lanterns were seen as symbols of good fortune and hope. It is believed to drive away bad luck.
Get your tickets here for easy access to all these incredible events. Prep for the Lunar New year and test your knowledge with our new Lunar New Year Quiz!
