Mayor Khal Asfour said those who “dress to impress” to welcome in the Year of the Pig, will have the chance to join the ‘Parade of Nations’ at 6:00 pm and receive a free Marigold plant.
He said that the parade would highlight Canterbury-Bankstown’s proud diversity.
“I’m looking forward to the carnival of colours, and sharing one another’s culture with the rest of the community,” he said.
In some cultures, the Marigold plant is said to protect one from evil and bring good luck.
“As we rejoice in the promise of a new year, I hope that it is filled with new beginnings, good health, and prosperity,” Mayor Asfour declared.
The city of Canterbury-Bankstown is highly diverse, with the 2016 census counting the most common ancestry as Lebanese (52,357 people), followed by Australian (49,187), English (42,442), Chinese (39,289), Vietnamese (25,195), Greek (22,740) and Italian (14,167).
That’s a sizeable number of Italians in the area.
Lunar New Year is celebrated the world over but most prominently in Asian countries such as China, Japan, Korea, Mongolia, Tibet and Vietnam.
Here in Australia, we are lucky enough to be able to partake in all cultural celebrations which make up our society.
What kind of national dress might an Italian wear to the party?
Although Italy may not have a singular “national dress”, it does have traditional clothing which is often representative of specific regions.
“Traditional” Italian clothing may be derived from simple peasant dress of the Middle Ages, and include colourful embroidered skirts and bodices over light-weight blouses, elaborate hats with flowers and fruits, and additional embroidery and pins, even on men’s clothing.
Or perhaps one could wear the garb of an Italian worker: a pizzaiolo, panettiere or maybe a fisarmonicista?
Asfour encouraged visitors to the festival to try something new this year, whether it was exploring a different food or activity.
It’s an adventure into cultural diversity.
“You don’t have to be a master of something to have fun,” he said.
“Why not try the art of Calligraphy, Origami, or lantern and Chung cake making?”
“We also have a Korean BBQ, a selection of dumplings, oodles of noodles, plus much, much more.”
The Lunar New Year Festival will be held on Saturday, February 2, at Bankstown City Plaza (Saigon Place), Chapel Road South, from 4:00 pm to 9:00 pm.
For more information on Council’s Lunar New Year festivities, visit the Canterbury-Bankstown website.
