On the evening of 30th January, 60 Society members and friends celebrated Chinese New Year – the Year of the Snake – at the festively decorated Bright Courtyard Club in central London, marking the Society’s first culinary experience for the year.
Many guests wore a touch of red – a colour that is associated with good fortune and prosperity in Chinese culture. Each guest also received a red envelope at the event. Giving out red envelopes containing money to spread blessings is a traditional part of Chinese new year celebration. On this occasion, bookmarks of Chinese floral and crane designs – both are common during the festival season, especially cranes given they are seen as a symbol for longevity – are inside those red envelopes, as well as a blank festival bookmark for guests to write their own wishing messages for friends and family.
During dinner, guests shared a variety of small plates across different types of vegetables, meat, and seafood. Those purposely selected dishes carry symbolic meanings of prosperity, wealth, strength, and harmony for the year ahead. 2025 is designated to be a transformative year as the snake symbolises transformation, change, and renewal. Fascinating conversations ranging from cultural significance of a new year celebration to the latest hot topics of artificial intelligence were exchanged at the dinner tables while guests tasted the food, reconnected with old friends and met with new ones.
The dinner event wrapped up by 10pm, concluding a wonderful evening of celebrating the arrival of a new year full of potential. May 2025 bring us good health, good fortunate, and lots of joy.
Organised by Cinney Zhang
