Welcoming Year of the Monkey in Toronto, Canada

A Lunar New Year Dinner at Home

Canadians love to celebrate! We love to party and find any excuses to get together with friends and families to eat, drink ( except us) and be merry.

A Lion Dance at a Lunar (Chinese) New Year Dinner in Markham, Ontario

Last Monday was the Lunar New Year! Chinese communities around the world rang in and welcome the Year of the Monkey ( an animal has been designated to represent one of  the twelve years on the Chinese Zodiac ).

Out of the blue, a few of our good friends started calling us to get together to celebrate the Lunar New Year. Starting last Monday, everyday during the week of the New Year, we got together and party with our good Newfie friends ( Newfie - an affectionate term for Canadians from Newfoundland, a small province on the Canadian east coast.), an Indian Canadian from Guyana, a Scottish Canadian, Indonesian and Malaysian Canadians as well as new Canadians from Columbia, China, Serbia and Canadian born Canadians.

Getting a New Year Red Pocket from a Family Member 

In our younger days, we were always busy with our lives, our families and careers. It was a constant go, go, go, non stop activities, responsibilities and commitments.  Once when we are in retirement, things do slow down a lot and often we lose touch with old friends and colleagues.

 It feels good that our close friends remembered us. The Chinese New Year (as many call it ) was a good excuse to reconnect, get together, enjoy some good food, fun time, conversations and catch up with each other's lives.

On the first day of the Monkey New Years, I was invited to a group luncheon buffet. The second day of the New Year, I had brunch with a good friend from Collingwood, then ran along to meet a friend  from Stoufville. In the evening, it was a big feast at a restaurant in Richmond Hill!

Lunar New Year dinner with family & friends

Wednesday evening, we celebrated the Lunar New Year with Herb and R. at a Hakka Indian Restaurant. Both of them took the subway all the way from downtown to party with us. I could not remember the last time we laughed so much with our friends. The three hour dinner flied by just like a minute and we had a blast!

Thursday, we had a family dinner with Mom and a few family members at home.

Thank God for family, great friends and friendship!

R.T.
Toronto