While many people throughout the world observe January 1 as the New Year, other cultures choose the Lunar New Year to celebrate.
The Lunar New Year begins on February 16 and the Essex County Chinese Canadian Association will be organizing community events to celebrate the most festive occasion on the Chinese calendar — Chinese New Year.
Event co-ordinator Catherine Fung tells AM800 News in Chinese New Year is a time for families to get together and celebrate a year of hard work, or separation.
"Traditionally people will gather no matter where they are, they always travel back to their parents' house," says Fung. "They will gather around the table to have a very sumptuous dinner."
Fung says over 15 days in the New Year families will migrate to other households as well.
"We go to relatives houses to bring gifts, and we receive relatives who come to our houses," she says. "So we entertain visitors and we go and visit relatives and friends too."
Fung says there will be many events celebrating Chinese New Year throughout Windsor-Essex, but she hopes everyone can make it out to Devonshire Mall on Sunday February 18 at 4pm.
She says there will be cultural performances and much more.
"I'd like to invite everybody to the Devonshire Mall event because it's so colourful with so many things to see and so many things to enjoy and it's all free of charge," says Fung.
The Chinese New Year is one of the world's largest annual human migration — 2018 is the year of the dog.
— with files from AM800's Patty Handysides.