The Chinese New Year officially commenced on February 5 and Dubbo locals are celebrating.
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2019 is the year of the pig and symbolises wealth in the Chinese culture. The Chinese New Year will finish on February 19.
Acupuncturist and Chinese medicine herbalist, Raisa Kolesnikova, from Carter Chiropractic and Dubbo Acupuncture, began the Chinese New Year the day before by giving her house a good clean.
This tradition sweeps away any bad luck so it isn’t brought into the new year, but during the actual celebration cleaning becomes taboo and may throw out good luck.
“I always like to clean my house and decorate it with a lot of lanterns and Chinese good luck symbols,” she said.
And on the first official day Mrs Kolesnikova - who wore red as it symbolises good luck - celebrated with family and friends over dinner making dumplings which symbolises togetherness.
“Because you put all the yummy ingredients and close it together,” she said.
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Families also make the effort to get together for the first official day of the Chinese New Year and don’t usually go to sleep until midnight.
"Chinese New Year is a family affair, traditionally you always get to home. It doesn’t matter where you live, you get together with your family and eat, laugh celebrate together,” Mrs Kolesnikova said.
Growing up in Yining, in the Chinese north-western province of Xinjiang, Mrs Kolesnikova and her family would spend the first official night of the Chinese New Year making food and sharing stories.
“We didn’t have a television or radio, we didn’t even have electricity, we just had a kerosene lamp, outside it would be minus 40 degrees Celsius so we would all be inside together, talking and laughing and telling stories…,” Mrs Kolesnikova said.
“And then we all sit down together and make dumplings and when midnight came my Mum would make a big pot of dumplings and we would eat at midnight.”