Saturday Briefing

By Luana Maitland

Kung Hee Fat Choy! Come and celebrate the “Year of the Ox” on Saturday, January 31, at the Outrigger Reef on the Beach (ORF) and the Outrigger Waikiki on the Beach (OWK).

The ORF event starts at 10 a.m. and will feature a traditional lion dance throughout the hotel.

At the OWK, Chinese Calligraphy and Proverbs will begin their event at 10:30 a.m., followed by a Chinese Cooking Demonstration and Tasting in the lobby. Fireworks will start in the front of the OWK on Kalakaua Avenue at 12 p.m., followed by a traditional Chinese Lion Dance.

It is believed that the loud beats of the drum and the deafening sounds of the cymbals together, with the face of the lion dancing aggressively, can evict bad or evil spirits  — so get into the excitement and celebrate Chinese New Year with us.

Year of the Ox - An Obstinate Year
Legend has it that in ancient times, Buddha asked all the animals to meet him on Chinese New Year. Twelve came, and Buddha named a year after each one. He announced that people born in each animal’s year would have some of that animal’s personality. Those born in ox years tend to be painters, engineers, and architects. They are stable, fearless, obstinate, hard-working, and friendly. President Barack Obama, Jack Nicholson, and Walt Disney, to name a few, were all born in the Year of the Ox.