×

Chinese New Year Festival Kicks off Feb. 1

The 23rd Maui Annual Chinese Festival kicks off on February 1 at the Maui Mall Village. Courtesy photo

On Feb. 1, Central Maui will come alive with excitement as the 23rd annual Chinese New Year Festival kicks off at the Maui Mall Village to celebrate the Year of the Snake.

Cathy Yago, an advisor, news release and script writer for the festival, said the event started in 1999 on Market Street in Wailuku.

“Some of the first organizers were Council Member Yuki Lei Sugimura, Marvin Shim, Maysie Tam and Sig Zane,” she recalled.

Since then, it’s been ongoing in various venues, including the Old Kahului Shopping Center, thanks to Ah Fook’s Supermarket and store manager Raymond Hew. The festival started at the Maui Mall Village in 2015 until moving to the Queen Ka’ahumanu Center in 2019. However, the pandemic put the festival on pause until 2023, when it returned once again to the Maui Mall Village.

Yago said the festival continues to bring people together.

“The Maui Chinese New Year Festival is a community effort organized by volunteers that love Asian culture,” she said.

Tam, festival secretary and co-chair of the children’s art contest, said she loves being a part of the annual celebration because it helps to share the richness of Chinese culture and pass it on to future generations.

She said the event is more important than ever.

“After two years of the world pandemic of COVID, isolation was fearful and lonely. After the big Lahaina fire, misery and depression ached the heart,” she said. “The Maui Chinese New Year Festival brought hope for a new year and joy. It brought back the dancing lions with wild colors and fantastic kung fu moves. It brought back smells and tastes of Chinese foods. It brought back old memories. It makes new memories.”

Her favorite memory of the Chinese New Year is serving tea to family elders.

“I was excited to be old enough to ‘jum cha,’ she said. “I poured hot tea into delicate, porcelain tea cups.I poured hot tea into delicate, porcelain tea cups. The oldest, my father, was served tea first with wishes for long life and prosperity. After my mother was served, more tea was added to the tea cups with more good luck wishes. Empty tea cups were collected but the cups were not really empty. The tea cup had a red paper packet called lisee. Inside the lisee was a silver dollar or a crisp dollar bill.”

John Tam, festival coordinator, said this is a good year to attend to learn more about such traditions and the Asian Zodiac Year of the Snake.

“The Snake symbolizes the power to transform your life. We will learn a healthier lifestyle from the performances of Chinese martial arts like Tai Chi,” he said.

The festival will run from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m and include keiki activities, Chinese food, martial arts and more. For a full look at the event calendar visit mauimallvillage.com/events/maui-chinese-new-year-festival.

Only $99/year

Subscribe Today