The Lunar New Year, also known as the Spring Festival, marks the transition into a fresh chapter with vibrant and colorful celebrations. This year is the Year of the Dragon according to the Chinese zodiac! Our communities came together with various events to celebrate this festive occasion (with at least one celebration yet to come!).
On 4 February, the Doha Mystery Cheap Eats Group got together to pre-celebrate the Lunar New Year. And as is their tradition, members tried to guess the location from a clue at first! What is this “Magic City”, the third largest in the world? — Yes! They met at the Shanghai Garden.
A special official event took place on 7 February in Miami to celebrate the Lunar New Year. Our members, all dressed in red, enjoyed a DJ performance in a reserved area.
Another official event to celebrate the Year of the Dragon happened on 8 February in London. The event took place in a beautiful new venue set in the immense vaults beneath The Royal Exchange building. What a great ambiance to meet new people!
On the eve of the Lunar New Year, the Houston Social Life Group got together for dinner on the outside patio of a lovely Thai restaurant in town.
On 10 February, the first day of the Lunar New Year, the Sydney Day & Night Group met up for dinner to celebrate the occasion. But the food was not the only nice thing about the evening! They also watched a traditional lion dance performance to usher in the Year of the Dragon …
On 26 January, the Rotterdam Community held an official welcome 2024 event at The Slaak Rotterdam Hotel — a new venue and a historical trademark of the city. Guessing from the photos, it was a fun evening filled with great people!
The Lima Cultural & Miscellaneous Group met for the first friendship event of the year on 3 February. They created unforgettable memories together while enjoying a fantastic view of the city, good food, drinks, and music!
The Tokyo Japanese Conversation Group got together on 4 February to learn about zazen meditation. Mr. Hojun, a Polish monk, gave our members a lecture in English and taught them all about this form of seated Buddhist meditation.
On 26 January, the Lima Spontaneous Explorers Group met to try something different! They enjoyed lunch in a Japanese restaurant in the district of Miraflores filled with Japanese decorations and a stunning ambiance.
Located in Miami? Join a Brazilian rooftop carnival with the Miami Ft Lauderdale Dance Group on 16 February — there are only a few tickets left, so don’t wait!
Join us on Saturday, 24 February in one of Shanghai‘s most exclusive and exciting venues at Park Hyatt. Don’t miss this chance to be part of the InterNations World Altitude Record Event at a stunning height of 425 m!
If you thought you missed all the Lunar New Year celebrations, guess again! Join The Hague Culture and Language Exchange Group to enjoy an impressive show of Chinese artists together on 24 February.
Looking to enjoy the flair of Brazil’s Carnival celebrations? Get into the Rio party vibe and witness the artistic expressions of Brazilian culture through dazzling rhythmic drumming and samba steps! If you’re in NYC, mark your calendar for 29 February and come to this colorful and dynamic official event.
Want to take the lead? If you enjoy organizing activities and sharing your interests with other members, find out how to get involved as an events host.
Advertisement
Beste is the Corporate Communications Intern at InterNations. She moved to Germany around a year ago and currently lives in Göttingen as a master's student. She likes to travel and learn about other cultures.
Long-distance relationships can be tough, but what about long-distance parenting? When one parent has to move abroad for business, staying in touch with the children and simply “being there” for them can become tricky. Our guest author Jin Li tells us how she and her husband make it work.
Munich is often ranked as one of the most liveable cities in the world — but what’s an actual day there like? Take a peek into the life of an American living abroad in Bavaria’s capital city! From the cost of groceries to public transportation, it’s the little things that this expat appreciates!
After a tough start of 2015, InterNations member Bryan Johnson decided to move to China for a new, exciting experience. What was supposed to be a short-term teaching assignment became a permanent stay and a once-in-a-lifetime journey. This is Bryan’s story!
With our online events, members have found many creative ways of connecting with each other. The Seattle and Riga Literature Groups collaborated on microfiction challenges, for instance, and put together an ebook highlighting members’ work. We talked to the Consuls about this wonderful project.
Living abroad is an exciting chapter in our lives, often filled with memorable and unique experiences. That is why it is so important to document the journey, so you have something tangible to look back on in years to come. Here are our seven best tips on capturing those moments!







