Holidays: Creating a Chinese New Year Pageant

The Lion Dance

A pageant can be a spectacular procession, a big parade. In San Francisco's China Town, the store owners have a wonderful parade each year with lion dancers. In China, the lion dance is a religious ceremony. In this country, it has become a celebration of the Chinese culture. The dance is "to bring good luck and chase away all the bad things in the past. Everyone will start out fresh."

Each business receives the same blessing. The musicians play the drums, cymbals and gongs to wake up the bad spirits. The lion enters each store chasing away the bad things in its path. Then it slowly walks out the same way it went in. The lion bows to the owner of each business. The owner usually hands the lion a lucky red envelop with money for the dancers in thanks for the blessing - and a lettuce leaf for the lion!!

The lion heads are very colorful. They are made in China of bamboo and paper or cloth. At least two men, one for the head and another for the tail, become the lion. Many more can be a part of the body. Others are needed to play the drum, cymbals and gongs.

The lion moves to the rhythm of the drums. It springs on its hind legs if it sees something to eat and then rolls toward the crowd and moves on its way. "The many colored ones are older and wiser. They've been through lots of battles. They are careful about picking a fight. The Young lions are just starting to learn. They get into mischief. But they never back down."

In other words, the dancers have fun being the lion!

Check out more information about lion dancers in the United States

http://www.chcp.org/lion.html

The dancers in the parades can do acrobatics, splits and somersaults! They practice to learn how to do these wonderful dances.