Robbie Burns Day and Chinese New Year – How often do they collide?

How real is the occurrence of Gung Haggis Fat Choy?


It's like the mystical town of Brigadoon, that very cheesy American musical, starring the immortal Gene Kelly, and written by Alan Jay Lerner (book and
lyrics) and Frederick Loewe. According to both the theatre musical or the movie –  Brigadoon, is a small Scottish village that remained
unchanging and invisible to the outside world except for one, special day every
hundred years, when it could be seen and visited by outsiders.

According to the Chinese Fortune calendar for 1900 to 2020, Chinese New Year has fallen on January 26th only 3 times during this 120 year span.

Chinese New  Year has fallen on Robbie Burns Eve on only 3 times.

But… Chinese New Year has occurred on January 25th, Robbie Burns birthday only 5 times during this 120 year span.

In 2004, CBC Vancouver made a television performance special based on the Gung Haggis Fat Choy dinner, after CBC regional director Rae Hull attended the 2002 Gung Haggis Fat Choy dinner of 200 guests, during one of those rare Vancouver snow storms.


View Clip
Gung Haggis Fat Choy
Chinese New
Year. Robbie Burns Supper. Gung Haggis Fat Choy fuses the two unique
cultural events in a celebration of music, dance and tradition.
Featuring performances by The Paperboys and Silk Road Music.

A CBC Television production.

January, 24 1925   1925 Green Wood Cow Year
January, 24 1955   1955 Green Wood Sheep Year
January, 24 2001   2001 White Metal Snake Year

January, 26 1914       1914 Green Wood Tiger Year
January, 26 1933       1933 Black Water Chicken Year
January, 26 2009       2009 Brown Earth Cow Year

January, 25 1906       1906 Red Fire Horse Year
January, 25 1944       1944 Green Wood Monkey Year   
January, 25 1963       1963 Black Water Rabbit Year
January, 25 1982       1982 Black Water Dog Year
January, 25 2020       2020 White Metal Rat Year

So on January 25th, 2009, we are celebrating both the 250th Anniversary of the birth of Robert Burns, and the incoming Chinese New Year of the Ox.

We will have a DJ Timothy Wisdom to spin some tunes until midnight, when we will hold a countdown to Chinese New Year.

Then we go home.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *


one × = 5