The Chinese community in Athens will for the first time hold a public event to celebrate the Chinese New Year on this Sunday, February 14, in Athens' Kotzia Square, in front of Athens' City Hall. According to Chinese traditions, we are now entering the year of the Tiger and this will be celebrated with a series of events under the banner 'Spring and Harmony: One family, one love".

The highlights will include the traditional lion dance, Chinese dancing and songs, martial arts exhibitions and other displays of China's traditional arts and crafts, such as calligraphy, kite-making, the tea ceremony, Chinese foods and artifacts and a lottery.

The celebration is being held under the aegis of China's Embassy and City of Athens, in the presence of Chinese ambassador Luo Linquan and Athens Mayor Nikitas Kaklamanis. The ambassador and mayor will declare the start of festivities in the traditional Chinese manner by painting the irises into the eyes of the Lions and exchanging New Year wishes.

This year's Chinese New Year coincides both with Valentine's Day and the last day of the Greek carnival season, or Apokries.

The money that will be collected from the sale of goods and food will be donated to the City of Athens to be spent on charity, while the municipality has decided to give the money to the municipality's Foundation for the Homeless in order to help those most in need during these times of economic difficulty.