60 Before 60 Project: #13 - Participate in a Cultural Event

I am very fortunate. I live in a city that is filled with diversity and there are always different cultural events being celebrated as a result.

But I rarely attend or participate.

For my 60 Before 60 Project, I thought I would change this and decided that I would attend one just to see what I might be missing. So we decided to head out to the celebration of the Chinese Lunar New Year.

The Lunar New Year is a celebration of the arrival of spring and the beginning of a new year based on the lunar calendar. It is considered to be the most important holiday in China, and it is also widely celebrated in South Korea, Vietnam. Each year is associated with an animal and for 2023, this is the year of the rabbit.

The Lunar New Year celebrations were being held in our city’s Chinatown. There was live music, dancers and even a dragon dance. You could smell the food and feel the energy of the people around you as we wandered through the streets.

As I looked around me and admired the colours and different sights and smells, I couldn’t help but think what else I might be doing if I hadn’t come. Possibly watching TV, reading or doing laundry came to mind.

I really need to make a point to get out more. Just look at what I could have missed.

My 60 Before 60 Lesson: Push outside your comfort zone, you never know what you might be missing.

Check out my next in my 60 Before 60 Project - after a 25 year break, I attempt cross country skiing again.

Interested in seeing all my 60 Before 60 experiences? Click here.