Gallery
Photos from events, contest for the best costume, videos from master classes.
 |  |
 |  |
 |  |
 |  |
 |  |
 |  |
If there is a significant or notable person in the audience, the lion will also bow three times to that individual. Finally, after the dance is over, the lion will once again bow three times. 3. The Secret Behind the Biting. If you’ve ever attended a lion dance, you probably have seen—or experienced—a lion bite by-standers. If you’re lucky enough to attend a Chinese New Year celebration, you may have the chance to view a lion dance. Likely dating back 2,000 years to the Han Dynasty period of Chinese history, the dance is a spectacular, high-energy affair, with performers in bright lion costumes leaping and twirling to the sound of loud drums and cymbals, dancing to bring good fortune in the new year. Choy cheng in Chinese basically means “plucking the greens”. The greens in a lion dance are a physical head of lettuce. However, the symbolism goes far behind some discount produce you can find at Costco. The Chinese language is full of puns and wordplay, especially when it comes to things like good luck, wealth, and happiness. Why Do the Lions Eat Lettuce? Lettuce is the staple food of lions in Southern Chinese Lion Dancing. The reason for this, as is common with symbolic foods in Chinese culture, the phonetic associations of the word "lettuce" in Chinese. "Sang Coi" (cantonese) is an adjective-noun construction which literally means "raw vegetables". Think of bok choy and the phrase often heard around this time of year 'gung hay fat choy' which essentially means 'wishing you great happiness and prosperity.' "When you hang up lettuce you want to make the lion happy," says Quon, who's also the chief dance instructor for the club. In Chinese tradition the lion can bring luck, he explains. People perform lion dances at Chinese festivals or big occasions to bring good fortune and chase away evil spirits. The lion dance is one of the most important traditions at Chinese New Year. It is performed to bring prosperity and good luck for the upcoming year. The lion dance is also a way to create a festive atmosphere and bring happiness. Over time, this evolved into the lion dance that we know today. In traditional Chinese culture, lions represent power, wisdom, and superiority, and they are believed to bring good luck. This is why lion dances are performed at key events, especially during Chinese New Year, to usher in happiness, health, and success for the coming year. The pronunciation of the word “lettuce” in Chinese is similar to the word for “wealth” or “get rich,” so “catching” or “eating” the lettuce during the lion dance performance is thought to bring wealth and prosperity. The lion dance is said to have originated from a legend about a small village being attacked by a lion. Lunar New Year, often called the Spring Festival or Chinese New Year, is the most important holiday in China and many other Asian communities. Every year is marked by a different animal and 2025 Lunar New Year rush starts after China lifts COVID travel rules. By Associated Press. Lion dancer makes impact on Chinese Lunar New Year tradition. By Mori Rothman, Michael D. Regan. Happy Lunar Nian gao, (Chinese: 年糕; pinyin: nián'gāo) Sticky (Rice) cake, Chinese new year's cake. It is considered good luck to eat nian gao because it has the symbolism of increasing prosperity every year. Wednesday, January 29th, will kick off the start of the Year of the Snake with celebrations of fireworks, family, and feasts all across the world. The traditional lion dance seen at Chinese New Year originates from the legend of the monster known as Nian. You can read all about the legend in our illustrated Story of Nian . Street celebrations often include a performance of the lion dance which is thought to bring good luck. Lion’s Head Meatballs are a traditional Chinese New Year dish that symbolizes strength and unity. These large, flavorful pork meatballs are cooked in a savory broth with Napa cabbage, creating a hearty and satisfying dish. Bean sprouts (豆芽/芽菜) – to your heart’s content, positive start into the new year. Black moss (髮菜) – wealth. Cabbage, Chinese (白菜) – 100 types of prosperity luck. Calms (扇贝) – opening of new horizons. Calm roll (干贝) – gold, wealth. Carrots (紅蘿蔔) – good luck Here we see a traditional lion dance in which restaurants feed a lion a cabbage. Catching the spat out leaves signifies good fortune. We were just leaving th The fish is usually steamed or braised and is often accompanied by a sweet and sour sauce. Eating fish during Chinese New Year is believed to bring good luck and abundance for the year ahead. No Chinese New Year feast would be complete without the iconic nian gao, or sticky rice cake. The lion dance is usually performed at Chinese traditional festivals such as Chinese New Year or important occasions such as business opening events. Chinese Lion Dance The Symbol of Lion Dance. Known as the king of all animals, the lion symbolizes power. As China is generally free from lion infestation, the lion has a good impression on Most Americans consider January 1 the start of the new year, but many Asians and Asian-Americans don’t. Instead, they follow Lunar New Year, also referred to as Chinese New Year in the U.S., which begins on January 29, 2025. (That’s the Year of the Snake in the Chinese zodiac, BTW.)
Articles and news, personal stories, interviews with experts.
Photos from events, contest for the best costume, videos from master classes.
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |