Dai Le (Fowler, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

While the majority of us welcome 1 January as the Western calendar new year, many people in my community have their unique cultural new year celebrations between January and April. We have just come out of the lunar new year celebration, which is celebrated by people of Chinese, Vietnamese and Korean heritage. For Australians of Chinese background, it's the year of the rabbit, and, for Australians of Vietnamese background, it's the year of the cat. I note in the past the Australian community has constantly referred to the lunar new year as the 'Chinese new year'. I would like us to correct that. It's not just the Chinese community who mark this important cultural date, so do other groups, as I have mentioned.

The lunar new year is a fantastic and colourful cultural celebration, and I believe no-one does it better than my community in Fowler, particularly Fairfield City Council, which is renowned for creating and putting on amazing cultural festivals celebrating diversity. Last weekend, the council put on a magnificent new year celebration in Freedom Plaza in the heart of Cabramatta, attracting tens of thousands of visitors, helping to boost the local economy. Our city was lit up with fireworks, firecrackers, dragon and lion dancing, and has been so since the start of the year.

The lunar new year is a significant celebration in our community, as it marks the beginning, a new start and a hope for a prosperous new year for many who celebrate this cultural date. It's accompanied with customary activities, such as the giving of the red envelope known as li xi. It's a requirement for every household to make sure they clean up their homes and pay respect to their elders in the community.

Every year, on 1 April, thousands of Syrians in my electorate of Fowler gather at the Fairfield showground to celebrate the beginning of their new year. This event has been organised by the Syrian National Council for many years as well as other Syrian groups. This year commemorates the 6,773rd new year for Fowler's Syrians. A celebration of this old civilisation would be incomplete without dancers dressed in traditional attire, musical performances by singers and drummers, and historical presentations about this ancient culture.

Moreover, this year, 14 April coincides with the new year celebrations of Cambodian, and Laotian and Thai populations in Fowler. The Cambodian new year is a something celebration of the solar new year beginning on the first day of the year. These communities will leave their homes and congregate on the streets and partake in the celebration at the Bonnyrigg Cambodian and Lao temples.

I can proudly say one of the privileges of being a representative of this multicultural community in Fowler is being given the opportunity to participate and share in community's diverse cultural celebrations. Fowler is like a museum, where each corner tells a story of a different community. Every cuisine takes you back to a place where the dish was first prepared, and the memories you make with each cultural celebration will remain with you forever. This is why I feel so fortunate to be able to speak on behalf of a community as rich as Fowler.