Fireworks fans are always looking for an excuse to put on or watch a display, and the perfect excuse can be found on February 8^th 2016. It’s Chinese New Year!

Except by Chinese communities of course, this festival isn’t widely celebrated in the UK. However, in major towns and cities, especially those with a larger overseas student population, you will find that there are a lot of celebrations going on. For example:

• In London’s Chinatown, there is an annual dragon parade starting at Trafalgar Square and heading throughout the area, along with numerous cultural events such as gallery exhibitions celebrating Chinese culture.
• Over in Manchester, which has the second largest Chinese community in the country, there are events going on across the city and over four days. Previous year’s celebrations have included large-scale film, art and light projects, as well as origami workshops and a dragon parade attended by over 90,000 people – all topped off with a spectacular fireworks finale.
• In Birmingham, the council usually teams up with the Birmingham Chinese Festival Committee for a music and dance spectacular, with children’s rides, stalls and stage performances. The evening is completed with traditional dragon dancing and of course – an amazing fireworks display.
• In Edinburgh, a Chinese New Year party is held every year by The Confucius Institute for Scotland. These parties give guests the chance to learn Mandarin, enjoy authentic Chinese dumplings, play mah-jong and chess, join in karaoke and watch an atmospheric lantern parade.

Holding your own Chinese New Year celebrations

Falling as it does at the start of February, Chinese New Year is the perfect opportunity to brighten up the dark winter months with your own light and fireworks shows.

There are lots of ways you can celebrate, even if you decide not to go to the festivities in your nearest city centre. Just like with New Year’s Eve, you can buy fireworks kits to top off an evening of Chinese food, lanterns and other cultural celebrations. These kits contain all you need to put on a fantastic display, and they are designed to be easy to use – provided you follow all the instructions and safety advice.

Fireworks used to be too expensive for many people to afford, particularly cash-strapped Chinese students who were missing home and wanting to celebrate the occasion, but all this has changed. Kits like those available by 1^st Galaxy Fireworks represent great value for money, especially if you’re able to club together with other people to buy them.