The Grand Hotel Excelsior welcomed the Year of the Dragon in style with a lavish Chinese Buffet under the auspices of the Chinese Ambassador to Malta H.E. Zhang Keyuan. The Hotel Lobby was decorated with authentic Chinese decorations which are a symbol of growth and prosperity.
On Monday 16th January the Dragon made a stunning entrance into the Grand Hotel Excelsior and checked-in on time for the Chinese New Year. For a whole week it proudly sat in the Hotel Lobby wishing the Hotel guests and staff a year full of prosperity. The 8 metre Dragon travelled all the way from China for its first Chinese New Year celebration in Malta.
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| VIP Guest for the month of January Chinese Foreign Minister Hon. Yang Jiechi welcomed by Mr. Grixti, Hotel General Manager, upon his arrival to the Grand Hotel Excelsior. |
Chinese New Year, better known in China as the Spring Festival, is a time to welcome longevity, wealth and prosperity and to eliminate any negative events from the past. In Chinese tradition, each year is dedicated to a specific animal. The Dragon, Horse, Monkey, Rat, Boar, Rabbit, Dog, Rooster, Ox, Tiger, Snake, and Ram are the twelve animals that are part of this tradition. Each of these animals are thought to bestow their characteristics to the people born in their year. In 2012, the Dragon is welcomed back after the 2011 year of the Rabbit.
People born in the Year of the Dragon have a natural charisma and are certainly gifted with power and luck. Some famous personalities who were born in the Year of the Dragon are Michael Douglas, John Lennon, Al Pacino, Cliff Richard, Shirley Temple, Placido Domingo and Ringo Starr.
Chinese people may celebrate this feast in slightly different ways but their wishes are almost the same; they want their family members and friends to be healthy and lucky during the New Year.
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