Here we go again (What if it was CNY and no one showed up)

Note: I did not steel this picture. I'm only involuntarily advertising for them ;-)

I am fortunate in that the waitress at the Vietnamese restaurant around the corner has been greeting me with "Happy New Year" already all day yesterday.  When I pointed out that the Chinese New Year would only begin today on Friday, she said "Ya, but New Year EVE NOW !!".

I say that I am fortunate in that because there are few other hints in this city where a LARGE percentage of people are of Asian origin. Stats Canada/Wikipedia list 17% of the Greater Vancouver Area (2.5 Million people) as of Chinese ethnicity and ~25% as of East and South-East Asian ethnicity.  You'd think Google, who change their colours at the drop of a hat for about any weird significant or insignificant date would have a  horse doodle. Alas NO, at least not at 7:45 am PST:

Google Calendar maybe?  No, not either.

There is one exception though. Grandma knew already yesterday that it would be Chinese New Year today.  Did I tell her?  No, she knew it from another source. She knew from  the free calendar that a real estate agent active in her neighbourhood had dropped off.  

But it could be worse. Like last year, when Chinese New Year was the date for the very first occurrence of the freshly minted new BC holiday.  What an honour for Asians in BC and what an acknowledgment of their numbers and accomplishments, you think? 
Nope, the new holiday was called Family Day, and someone had the stunning cultural sensitivity to inaugurate it on CNY.

Anyhoo, if you're a horse, do wear something red every day this year, to remind you that this is your year and that you better make something special out of it, because you'll have to wait 12 years for the next one.  Crazy superstition, you say?    Worked for me ;-)

p.s. There is a Chinese New Year Parade in Vancouver's Chinatown on the coming Sunday. And if the weather forecaster is to be trusted, it actually will be a Sun Day.