Chinese New Year's Lion Dance

I was so happy to see the 1st Nashville Lion Dance Team come to the Chinese New Year's Banquet. Over the years, I have grown fonder and fonder about the Chinese Lion Dance Teams. When I was a kid, with plenty of auditory clarity, the Lion Dance Team drums were too loud for me, and I used to cry because it hurt my ears. A few too many rock concerts in my teens and 20s, a few too many tapes and CDs played at volume 10 in my car, I am now as hard of hearing as most middled aged people, and I am not as distressed over the drumming. I have grown to love the whole sha-bang of the acrobatic lions and the drumming. The Nashville Lion Dance Team brought their drums, two adult lions and a little baby lion! It is always good luck to have the lions come and make way for lots of good luck for the new year.

Here is the baby lion! Isn't she cute? How did the little girl get into the lion's mouth?

Here are two lions, and the lion tamer.

It is customary to offer the lions a red package, also known as a lucky package. The red lucky packages have money and or candy to symolize luck, health, and prosperity for the new year. In this picture, someone is holding out a red package for the lion.

Here the lion eats the red package and dances for the person in hopes of good luck for the year.

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Chinese New Year