From the 28th January to the 28th February, Dubai residents are invited to welcome in the Chinese New Year 2019 at the world-renowned Atlantis, The Palm. Also known as the ‘Spring Festival’, it is the time to reunite with friends and family and bring forth good luck for the year to come. From special menu’s to exciting performances such as lion dances, Atlantis, The Palm is the place to be this Chinese New Year.
HAKKASAN
Guests are invited to celebrate the Chinese New Year at one of Dubai’s hottest and most exclusive Cantonese restaurants; Hakkasan. From 28th January to 24th February, Hakkasan’s team of expert chefs have crafted a special a la carte menu for dinner, giving guests the chance to sample an array of Chinese favourites including peking duck with crispy bean curd and mango, wok-fry lobster with Chinese chives and lily bulb, as well as roasted Jasmine chicken with sticky rice. This specially created Chinese New Year Menu is AED 498 per person including one Liáo Liáo welcome drink, which comprises of ketel one vodka, rosella, oloroso sherry, lemon, kumquat sherbet and plum bitters. The menu will not be available on 14th February as it will be supplemented for the special Valentine’s Day menu.
Hakkasan will be celebrating Chinese New Year with their wishing tree tradition, inviting guests to write their wishes on red ribbons that will be hung around the dining areas. Themed music will be played throughout each evening, complimenting the vibrant journey; Hakkasan will also host a DJ performing from Tuesday to Saturday. For those looking to enjoy the regular Hakkasan menu, the a la carte menu will also be available to diners.
Saffron
Saffron is bringing the best contemporary Chinese New Year dinner to the city. Guests can choose from an array of Cantonese, Szechuan, Shandong and Anhui dishes, as well as steamed dim sum and the peking duck station.
The Chinese New Year offering at Saffron will be available every evening from 4th to 10th February, 6pm to 11:00pm. With entertainment including themed Chinese dinner music, and a lion dance at 7:30pm to 7:45pm on the 4th, 5th and 6th February, as well as a stunning fireworks display on 4th February. Guests can dine for AED 265 per person exclusive of beverages, children aged 4 to 11 can dine for AED 137.50 and little ones under the age of three dine for free.
Kaleidoscope
Over the Chinese New Year period, from 4th to 10th February, Kaleidoscope will be offering its international buffet to guests serving dishes from the Mediterranean, North Africa and Arabia, with a focus on the very best of Asian and Chinese cuisine. The buffet will feature dishes such as steamed dory fillets with ginger soya, peppered chicken with pak choi and char siu beef rib, as well as live stations including Asian noodle soup and a dim sum carousel. As well as fantastic entertainment such as a lion dance at 7:25pm to 7:30pm on the 4th, 5th and 6th February.
Guests can dine for lunch for AED 195 per person from Sunday to Thursday and children aged 4 to 11 for AED 97.50. On the weekend, the offer is available for AED 230 including water and soft drinks, for children ages 4 to 11 AED 115, and little ones under the age of three dine for free.
A few facts you didn’t know about Chinese New Year
- The festival date changes every year. This is because it follows the lunar calendar, based on the movement of the moon. In 2019, Chinese New Year falls on February 5th.
- It is also called Spring Festival. The festival usually falls after the solar term in the beginning of Spring (Li Chun).
- Chinese New Year starts a new animal’s zodiac year. In China, each lunar cycle has 60 years and 12 years is regarded as a small cycle. Each of the 12 years is defined by an animal sign: Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Sheep, Monkey, Rooster, Dog and Pig.
- The celebration lasts for 15 days until the Lantern Festival. The peak time of the entire celebration is on Chinese New Year’s Eve and the first day of the lunar new year. The 15th day is called Lantern Festival, marking the end of the celebration.
- One sixth of the world’s people celebrate it. It is not only celebrated in Mainland China, but also observed in Hong Kong, Taiwan, Vietnam, Singapore and some other Asian countries as well as Chinatowns around the world.
- It is the longest public holiday and the whole country is on the move. Most employees have 7-12 days off the work, and students have one month winter vacation. The 2019 Chinese New Year holiday is from February 5th to the 11th.
- No matter where they are, people try their best to return home for a family reunion, like westerners attempting to spend Christmas with their families. This makes the world’s largest annual migration, known as the Spring Festival Travel Rush. The total trips made by plane, train, bus and ship can reach nearly 3 billion.
- Reunion dinner is a ritual. The reunion dinner on Chinese New Year’s Eve is a big feast to commemorate the past year. This is the most important time to be with families.
- Then comes the annual largest usage of fireworks on the planet. Fireworks are an indispensable part of the celebration to liven up the air of Spring Festival. All families set off fireworks to celebrate the festival.
- “Guo Nian Hao” is one of the most used Chinese New Year greetings. This is like the westerners saying “Merry Christmas” to each other on Christmas Day. It means “Happy New Year”.