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Lion dances to usher in the Ox
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Posted on Jan 25 2009
Today, the Chinese Association of Saipan will go round the island to stage multiple performances of the traditional lion dance to celebrate the Lunar New Year and the Year of the Ox.
According to Chinese Association of Saipan director Rose Chan-Matsuda, the Chinese lion dance troupe will perform the lion dance throughout the day at several business centers located in different villages to drive away evil spirits and to attract good fortune.
“Through the lion dance, the Chinese Association of Saipan hopes to bring good luck and better economy to the island. We’d like to see the whole island enjoy the lion dance and we wish everybody a good and prosperous New Year,” Chan said.
To the uninitiated, the lion dance in Chinese culture is a time-honored dance form in which dancers wearing a lion costume imitate a lion’s movements. The lion dancers visit businesses to “pick greens.” Businesses would tie a hung bao or red packet filled with money to a head of lettuce and hang it high above the front door of the business. The lion will seize the lettuce, keep the money, and discard the leaves. The dance is believed to bring good luck and fortune to the business and the dancers are rewarded with the red packet.
The lion dances will follow this schedule:
Jan. 26
9am TSL Plaza
10am Saipan Grand Hotel
11am Hyatt Regency Saipan
12pm Palms Resort Saipan
3pm Subway Gualo Rai and Transpac Business Center
6pm Fiesta Resort & Spa
7:30pm Duty Free Shoppers Galleria
Jan. 27
10:30am Tinian Dynasty Hotel & Casino [B][I](PR)[/I][/B]
