The year of the fire monkey starts next week as the new lunar calendar for 2016 begins with celebrations around New Zealand and the world.
UCOL culinary students Hoang Huy Le from Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam with Billy Zhen and James Zhan from Guangzhou City in China will be celebrating kiwi style this year.
"I'm going to Wellington for the lantern festival celebration there on the 13th of February," said Billy.
James and Huy will be staying in Whanganui to have celebrations with friends and family here and although they will be celebrating on the same dates, their rituals are slightly different.
Where the Chinese celebrate the first day of the new year by eating dumplings, Huy said the traditional food in his country is soup.