This week, over 1.5 billion people have been getting ready to welcome the Year of the Ox, one which symbolises diligence, honesty, reliability, stability, perseverance, power, stubbornness and excellence.

Lunar New Year is coming up on Friday 12 February, which is the biggest holiday of the year in the Chinese and south-east Asian calendars.

This year, City of Yarra celebrated Lunar New Year with the annual Victoria Street Lunar Festival which took place on Sunday 24 January, an event of the Victoria Street Business Association supported through our Celebrate Yarra Triennial Program.

'After over 100 days in lockdown last year, our community was so grateful to have this opportunity to celebrate the Lunar festival on Victoria Street together. It was a little bit different with social distancing and reduced entertainment. The festival required a bit more planning, but we were very happy to bring Victoria Street Lunar Festival back and it was vibrant, cultural and welcoming. To see our locals coming out to support the street traders was amazing.' Ha Ngyuen, President Victoria Street Business Association

The Festival, which is usually attended by 1000’s, looked different this year with organisers creating a COVIDsafe Hawker style event where local restaurants of Victoria Street were able to extend their dining and pour out onto the street. Busy restaurants and people exploring the street was a welcomed sight and visitors were able to experience Lion dancing and firecrackers whilst enjoying all the delicious food Victoria Street has to offer.

Check out a clip of Lunar 2021 in Yarra on our Instagram.
Read more from the Victoria Street Business Association.