Why does the Chinese dragon eat lettuce?

Lettuce Offering What you’ll often find hanging from the doorway of a business or home can be any type of green produce, including lettuce or bok choy. After “eating” the green, the lion will spit it out, which may seem rude but actually represents the lion spreading wealth, prosperity and good luck.

What is the difference between lion dance and dragon dance?

The most significant difference between the two dances is that the Lion Dance is performed by two people only while a group of 9-15 dancers performs the Dragon Dance for a 18-25 metre-long dragon Dragon costumes are controlled with long poles while lion costumes are controlled from within the Lion’s head and tail.

What is Chinese dragon dance?

The dragon dance, also known as longwu (龙舞) or longdeng (龙灯), is a traditional Chinese dance performance involving a team of performers using poles to rhythmically move a dragon prop.

How heavy is a lion dance head?

T.A.: The lion’s head used to be made from papier-mâché and weighed 50 to 100 pounds. T.N.: Now it’s fabric and bamboo and weighs 15 to 20 pounds. Inside are strings that make the eyelids blink and the ears wiggle.

What do lions symbolize in China?

In Chinese Culture, the lion symbolizes strength, stability and superiority, while the dragon represents power, boldness and excellence. Dances for both the auspicious creatures are performed during festive occasions as a means to chase away evil spirits and welcome in prosperous times.

What do Chinese lions eat?

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.

Why is there a dragon dance at Chinese New Year?

The dragon dance is often performed during Chinese New Year. Chinese dragons are a symbol of China’s culture, and they are believed to bring good luck to people, therefore the longer the dragon is in the dance, the more luck it will bring to the community.

Why do Chinese dragons chase balls?

It is believed that the longer the Dragon is, the more luck it will bring! Sometimes the Dragon follows a man carrying a ball on a stick. This is the “Pearl of Wisdom”. It is said that the Dragon chasing this “pearl of wisdom” represents the Dragon’s way to pursue insight and knowledge.

Why does the Chinese dragon chasing a pearl?

The pearl is associated with spiritual energy, wisdom, prosperity, power, immortality, thunder, or the moon. Chinese art often depicts a pair of dragons chasing or fighting over the flaming pearl. This description accords with the artistic depictions of the dragon down to the present day.

How much does a lion dance cost?

The standard going rate is $688 for a pair of lions. However, this can go as low as $388, for a smaller show (note: this may mean the lions dance only at your gate and in the living room, but do not visit the other rooms of the house). For three lions, the going rate is typically around $888 to $1,088.

What do you do during lion dance?

The lion dance is also a way to create a festive atmosphere and bring happiness. Performed in a lion costume, accompanied by the music of beating drums, clashing cymbals, and resounding gongs, lion dances imitate a lion’s various movements or demonstrate martial arts agility, depending on the style.

What do 2 lions in front of house mean?

Placing them in front of the home is said to suggest to passersby that the “warriors” living here have accomplised something and are very high ranked in society, or they are meant to show wealth, as a symbol of riches and high class.

Why do they catch lettuce in Chinese New Year?

Catching the Lettuce in the Chinese New Year’s Lions Dance. And that is the meaning behind the Lion Dance tradition. It’s usually performed as a ceremony to scare away evil spirits and to summon luck and fortune. It’s a very lively and entertaining spectacle involving the loud rhythmic banging of drums and martial arts.

When does the Chinese New Year lion dance?

Will you be lucky enough to “ catch the lettuce ” in the Chinese New Year’s Lion Dance? What does that even mean? Join us today at Metropolis at Metrotown to see the Lion live in action. Chinese New Years differs every year due to the Chinese lunar calendar but its safe to say that it usually falls in either January or February.

What is the meaning of the Chinese dragon dance?

Chinese Dragons (龍 (龙); pinyin: lóng) are luck-bringer, they are venerated in the Dragon Dance (Chinese: 舞 (舞龍); pinyin: wǔ lóng), also called “Dragon Lantern Dance”, it is a traditional performance of the Han people.