Celebrate Chinese New Year on 28 January 2017! Posted on 24 January 2017 by Wing Shek - Kent-Teach in General Chinese New Year has more than 4,000 years of history and it's a fun festival that everyone can be a part of. It really is the time to brush away the old and welcome the new as it’s also known as the Spring Festival. You can find out more about the traditions and history here. 2017 is the year of the Fire Rooster. Find out your Chinese zodiac sign and see what 2017 will mean for your zodiac sign.EventsThere are Chinese New Year celebrations taking place in Kent in Maidstone, Leybourne, Chatham, Gravesend, and Ashford. There will be a large parade in Chatham on Saturday, 28 January, the biggest one outside London, with up to 200 people taking part. Activities will be going on in Maidstone, Jubilee Square on Saturday as well. If you miss this weekend's celebrations, you can join in the festivities on 31 January in Gravesend.If you’re feeling more adventurous, why not make your way to London and watch the parade with lion dancers weaving their way around China Town on 29 January. There will be music, acrobatics, and pyrotechnics.If you would like to avoid the crowds then head out to one of these other celebrations around London which include the Museum of London Docklands, Cutty Sark, and the Magical Lantern Festival at Chiswick House and Gardens.FoodYes, you can go to a Chinese restaurant or order take away but where's the fun in that!Get involved at home with Chinese cooking. Here are the 7 lucky foods to eat for Chinese New Year and this website has some great recipes to help you prepare a delicious Chinese New Year dinner. If you’ve never tried it before, making your own dumplings is really fun and it’s not as difficult as you think. A great family activity and you get to eat tasty dumplings at the end!Chinese films and booksIt’s not a part of the tradition but you can complete the evening or weekend with a film or book. Here is a list of 10 great Chinese language films by the British Film Institute and if you love books, here is a list of the best Chinese books of the last century by Time Out Shanghai.Chinese New Year in the classroomWe’ve updated last year’s blog on Chinese New Year resources so you can also bring the celebrations into your classroom.Enjoy your celebrations and Kung Hei Fat Choi (Cantonese) or Gōng Xǐ Fā Cái (Mandarin)!Read our blog post on National Storytelling Week from 28 January – 4 February for storytelling resources and ideas.