Chinese New Year festivities in Panama

The Chinese Community in Panama starts celebrating Chinese New year, known as the Spring Festival where they mark the arrival of new crops, end of winter and the beginning of Spring.

Festivities start Thursday, February 15th, with events taking place throughout Panama especially in Panama City where the main event happens at the Golden Unicorn. The New Years’ eve banquet at Golden Unicorn is an annual event bringing in the Chinese New Year in Panama. The restaurant is a large traditional setting. At the popular Chinese restaurant in Panama City food is prepared by Beijing chefs! 

Other activities on February 16th and 17th in Panama City include artistic presentations from noon till 8:00 by more than 80 artists from Beijing and Tianjin at the Atlapa Convention Center. Performances will include magic shows, folk dances, fireworks, the traditional Chinese lion dance as well as There singing artists, Chinese folk dances,

Interactive activities for children like karaoke and games will be at the El Dorado shopping center, from 12:00 m.d. at 6:00 p.m. 

Finally, on Sunday, February 25th, there will be the Chung Sir 5K Walk in Clayton.

Unlike the Western calendar,  the Chinese calendar repeats the cycle of the moon every 12 years and an animal is assigned for each year of the cycle going with one of the 5 elements: wood, fire, earth, metal or water.

2018 is the Year of the Land Dog and begins February 16th  until February 4th, 2019. The dog is the eleventh sign of the Chinese zodiac. 

The dog’s birth years include: 1922, 1934, 1946, 1958, 1970, 1982, 1994, 2006, 2018 and 2030.