Ching Young Village celebrated the start of the 2016 Chinese New Year this morning by lighting fireworks attached to good luck red strands of paper outside the main entrance to the shopping center.
2016 marks the Year of The Monkey. The new year, also known as the Spring Festival, is marked by the lunisolar Chinese calendar, so the date changes from year to year.
The festivities usually start the day before the New Year and continue until the Lantern Festival, the 15th day of the new year.
Each Chinese New Year is characterized by one of 12 animals which appear in the Chinese zodiac. The Chinese zodiac is divided into 12 blocks (or houses) just like its western counterpart, but with the major difference being that each house has a time-length of one year instead of one month.
This year it's the Year of the Monkey, the ninth animal in the cycle. The next Year of the Monkey will be in 2028.
PoP! Boom! Bang! are all happy sounds and noises that bring joy and cheer to the festivities. They are lit in front of houses and stores so that the evil spirits are scared away from the loud cracking noises.