The Chinese New Year Celebration will be taking place on Sunday 10th February. There will be a grand parade along the Strand, Charing Cross Road and Shaftesbury Avenue and on to Trafalgar Square. The parade will start at 11am and you will be able to see all sorts of performers including acrobats and Chinese dragons. There will also be fireworks to round off the celebrations.
There are lots of different activities for kids including:
+ China in London at London Zoo – learn about the species that form the chinese zodiac
+ Chinese Tales and Mask Art at the National Portrait Gallery – storytelling and mask making
+ Chinese Dagons Art and Craft at the Horniman Museum – sessions about chinese dragons
+ Animals of the Chinese New Year at the Natural History Museum – which year were you born?
+ China’s Terracotta Army at the British Museum – chinese games and workshops
+ Beijing Bailing Shadow Puppet Show - see the website for shows at various venues
+ Fan Dance and Animal Mask Workshops at the Museum in Docklands – plus other half term activities.
People born in 1972, 1984 and 1996 are Rats. So, that must mean that Piers is one (sorry – just gave your age away 
). It sounds awful to be a rat, but read this flattering description from Wikipedia:
Being the first sign of the Chinese zodiacs, rats are leaders, pioneers and conquerors. They are charming, passionate, charismatic, practical and hardworking. Rat people are endowed with great leadership skills and are the most highly organized, meticulous, and systematic of the twelve signs. Intelligent and cunning at the same time, rats are highly ambitious and strong-willed people who are keen and unapologetic promoters of their own agendas, which often include money and power. They are energetic and versatile and can usually find their way around obstacles, and adapt to various environments easily. A rat’s natural charm and sharp demeanor make it an appealing friend for almost anyone, but rats are usually highly exclusive and selective when choosing friends and so often have only a few very close friends whom they trust.
Sounds pretty good, doesn’t it?
Anyway, enjoy the celebrations and Happy New Year!
