Spring Festival's starring role on the European stage

While Chinese are required to return to work on Wednesday after their Spring Festival break, for most the festive mood will extend until after they celebrate the Lantern Festival, which is the first significant fete day after the Spring Festival. This year it falls on March 5.

Checking my schedule, I found that this year's final Spring Festival event in Brussels is the annual Lunar New Year reception organized by Belgian-Chinese Chamber of Commerce on March 4, at which the Chinese Ambassador to Belgium Qu Xing and Didier Reynders, Deputy Prime Minister of Belgium, will speak. The chamber has also, once again, arranged a collective shopping (and bargaining) trip to a shopping center in Belgium.

Of course, this final event has been preceded by rounds of receptions, dinners and performances on different occasions. Normally, the Chinese embassy launches the Spring Festival activities by hosting a grand reception for the Chinese community in Belgium. And shows of Chinese performance arts will follow.