Partnering with the Canadian Multicultural Education Foundation, the Confucius Institute in Edmonton hosted a one-day Chinese New Year celebration for seniors in Edmonton on January 25. More than 100 seniors participated in this one day Chinese culture experience recognizing the Chinese New Year. Most of the seniors were of non-Chinese heritage and for many it was the first time to have a taste of a Chinese New Year celebration.
The day started with a warm welcome from the CIE, followed by a series of cultural workshops which included Chinese massage, a Chinese medicine consultation, Chinese dough art, Chinese knots, Chinese paper cutting, Chinese Calligraphy, Tai Chi and Chinese Yoyo. All the seniors showed great interest in learning these different and ancient Chinese arts. A traditional Chinese lunch was also provided to the seniors who really enjoyed the delicious food.
The highlight of the day was a one hour performance in the afternoon which included a Chinese lion dance, as well as folk dances, performances on Chinese musical instruments, Tai Chi and singing. The performers were students from Dovercourt School Confucius Classroom, along with artists from the CIE and local community.
All the seniors had a wonderful day at the CIE and many of them expressed their sincere thanks to all the teachers and volunteers who made this day so special for them. They all hope that they will be able to come back next year. Some seniors also wrote cards to the CIE to express their appreciation.