Chinese New Year is a time of family reunions, delicious food and joy amongst communities.

This special time of year is considered the grandest festival in China and within Chinese communities all over the world. The festival is based upon the Lunar Calendar, and this year happens to fall on Saturday 25th January.

Ring in the New Year by bringing the whole family together at Lu Ban Restaurant for a dining experience they won’t forget.

Check out our Chinese New Year Lunch menu and Chinese New Year dinner menu for a selection of flavours sure to impress.

Celebrate the Chinese culture and taste the food honouring the start of the Spring harvest. Chinese New Year blesses the yield of the upcoming harvest, which is why there is such a heavy focus on food throughout the festival.

“The joy of celebration is always associated with food”

It is thought that the festival originated in the Shang Dynasty almost 4000 years ago with the intention of worshiping ancestors and warding off bad spirits. Today it holds much of the same tradition with people spring cleaning their homes in the days leading up to the new year in order to ‘dust away’ bad luck and stepping into the new year fresh and clear.

You may have heard people wish others good luck with the Cantonese phrase: ‘Gong Hei Fat Choy’ but it is important to note what the Mandarin speaking regions say: ‘Guojian Hao’ meaning “Wishing you well in passing over Nian”. So, who or what is Nian?

Legend has it that Nian is the name of a beast who would come out and feed on the crops whilst forcing people into their homes on one day a year. He roamed the land on New Year’s Eve so in order to protect themselves, the villagers would warn him off with loud noises and the colour red.