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It's time to say goodbye to winter and let spring in. And what better way to do it than celebrating in style the entrance of the Chinese New Year. A few days of celebration to leave behind the Year of the Ox and receive the Year of the Tiger as it deserves.
But don't worry, you don't have to travel the almost 10,000 kilometers to Beijing. If you go to Madrid, that's enough.
There is a program of cultural and festive activities with options to choose from depending on what you most want to do. So if you have a few days, take advantage and immerse yourself in one of the most colorful one of the most colorful celebrations in the capital.
Shall we take a look at the program?
3 + 1 suggestions to welcome the Year of the Tiger in Madrid
The Chinese year begins on February 1st. It is the first day of the year according to the Chinese lunar calendar and is a tradition that is more than 4000 years old.
The celebrations, however, begin earlier, in the last days of January. This is how the change of cycle is prepared to welcome the new season, that is why it is also known by the name of Spring Festival
This year we will have to make the most of it because there is a lot to look forward to. In 2021, only virtual celebrations were organized due to covid. Global streaming connections were made to follow the events and the programming was very interesting... but it is not the same. We like it much better if the party is in the street, don't we?
So this time (fingers crossed that the pandemic will allow us to do so) we are going to celebrate the arrival of the Tiger in style.
The first thing you need to know is that the activities are concentrated in the districts of Usera first, followed by Arganzuela and Moncloa-Aravaca, which is where the Chinese community in Madrid has an important presence; in fact, it is the foreign community with more people registered.
1. Festival of Light and Great Multicultural Parade
For this you have to go to the heart of Usera. These are the central events and the ones that will connect you the most with the party, because you will feel like you are immersed in one of the great Chinatowns around the world. one of the great Chinatowns that exist all over the planet.
In the days leading up to the event, the neighborhood is buzzing. The neighborhood participation of the Chinese community is important. Neighborhood, cultural and artistic associations collaborate with each other. All kinds of activities are organized, such as street performances, music, workshops, handicrafts.
It is a good time to approach with the aim to connect with Chinese connect with Chinese culture and learn a new skill. The culmination is the parade known as the Great Multicultural Parade.
The festivities close with the Festival the Festival of Light, in the park of Pradolongo. A fireworks finale. Light and sound to welcome the Year of the Tiger.
2. Traditional Chinese food
It's a great time to broaden your horizons and get a little closer to the authentic Chinese culinary tradition. authentic Chinese culinary tradition: A spectacular festival of flavors, and millenary traditions that merge with state-of-the-art cuisine.
Aren't you already craving for more? Of course you are. That's what Chinataste Chinataste, a gastronomic festival held in February. To keep up to date with the program, you can follow the official Twitter or Instagram account, where you can take a look at what was cooked (literally) last year.
This year, we hope that the cook-off will be held again. the cooking contest. In the previous edition, more than 80 people participated, including Spaniards and Chinese residents in Spain. They learned to cook three typical Chinese New Year dishes via YouTube, under the guidance of Mr. Jiang Hao, chef of the Embassy. If you like cooking, here is a good experience for you.
And if you want to sit down to eat, this is also your moment. More than a dozen more than a dozen Chinese restaurants are participatingwith authentic traditional dishes that are worth trying.
3. Calligraphy workshops
And more! They are organized by the Confucius Institute of Madrid to celebrate the entry into the Year of the Tiger. There are for adults and for children, places are limited and have a price of 10 euros.
I leave you here the topics, but I recommend you to consult the Confucius Institute website for more information:
Create your Chinese-inspired look
Pay your respects to the land of the rising sun by rummaging through your closet for clothes that pay homage to the country's incredible cultural richness.
There are so many options that it is impossible for me to choose just one, but if you want to go extra elegant, with a quipao you can't go wrong.
And of course, if you add the right jewelry, you round out your look to perfection. Stick with big earrings that stand out, dangling and colorful. Like the Wanda earrings, for example.
Did I leave out anything interesting? Do you know of any more not-to-be-missed activities? I'll be glad if you tell me which one and we'll add it to the agenda!