Love, Luck, and Lunar Celebrations in February

Final Lunar New Year Festivities

New Year’s Eve may be old news by now, but many of our communities were still busy celebrating the Lunar New Year in February.

On 2 February, the Orange County Explorers Group headed to Fu Guang Shan Hsi Lai Temple for their Lunar New Year Celebrations. A spiritual and cultural center in the hills of Los Angeles County, the temple is the perfect place for everyone interested in learning more about Chinese culture and Buddhism.

The Rotterdam Mix & Mingle Group welcomed the Year of the Snake by joining the Walking Snake Parade on 8 February. Thanks to festive decorations, dazzling dragon dances, live music, and more, attendees enjoyed a lively atmosphere on their walking tour.

On 16 February, members of the Sydney The Supperclub Group came together for Yum Cha to Celebrate the End of the Lunar Festival. This Cantonese tradition that involves tea and dim sum for breakfast or brunch offered attendees plenty of opportunity to chat over delicious food.

And at the NYC Lunar New Year Celebration, members not only dressed to impress, they also received a small gift to take home — or a not so small gift in the case of the four lucky winners!

Celebrating Love & Friendship

Red isn’t just a lucky color for Lunar New Year festivities. It’s also significant for another celebration in February: Valentine’s Day on the 14th!

The Frankfurt Community got an early start and hosted their Valentine’s Event on 6 February. A tribute to togetherness, the event offered attendees the opportunity to get creative designing their own Valentine’s cards and tackling interactive challenges together.

On 14 February, members in Abu Dhabi raised a Toast to Love! Attendees enjoyed an evening of laughter with delightful company and danced the night away.

Singles. Couples. Friends. Everyone was invited to São Paulo’s San Valentin event to celebrate love and life by creating amazing memories (and sampling some cake).

If you’ve missed out on Valentine’s celebrations, no fear!

You can join the Singapore Beer Lovers Group’s Lonely Hearts, Gather! event on Friday, 21 February.

On the same day, members are coming together for a “Not a Valentine’s Day” Event in Braunschweig. Organized by the Wolfsburg Ambassador, the event follows the traffic-light principle: wear green, yellow, or red to signify whether you’re open for love.

Walks, Hikes, and Trips

February also turned out to be a month full of outdoor events.

On 9 February, the Rome English Group headed out to discover more of their historic surroundings during a two-hour “Roma Scartata” Historical Walk — followed by a joint aperitivo.

Members of the Lima Photography Group enjoyed a relaxing stroll through the streets of Miraflores, where Peruvian and foreign artists have left an amazing array of street art.

In Valencia, the Global Professionals Group combined networking with fresh air and exercise at their Business Netwalking in Turia Gardens. Attendees built new connections though one-on-one conversations, while social drinks rounded off the event .

At the beginning of the month, the Brussels Active 40+ Socializing Group headed out further with a weekend trip to go Skiing in Winterberg, Germany. Sunny weather, marvelous people, and lots of fun on the slopes made for an amazing experience.

If you’re itching to go out and get active, too, check out the Events calendar to see what’s going on in your area.

Members currently in San Francisco, for example, might want to check out the Bay Explorers’ upcoming Urban Jungle Hike on Sunday, 23 February.

In Marbella, you can join the Outdoor & Sports Group on a 7-kilometer Sunday Hike on the same day. An initial steep ascent will be rewarded with great views into five different valleys.

An Evening Walk with views over the city is on the agenda of the Barcelona Discovering Catalonia Group. If you’re in the city, feel free to join them on Sunday, 23 February.

Whatever your plans for the rest of the month, have lots of fun!

Want to take the lead? If you enjoy organizing activities and sharing your interests with other members, find out how to get involved as an event host.