Last Saturday on the 10th Feb I celebrated lunar new year with my family. It’s become a yearly tradition where we go the Chinatown in our country (Belgium) and enjoy delicious Chinese food.
Did you know Billy’s spirit animal (my dino mascotte) is a dragon? Yes, it’s true. Well, to be honest…Billy is a dinosaur that thinks he is a dragon. Or we are all wrong and he truly is a dragon. That’s why my resolution for this new lunar year will be to release my inner dragon. I’m going to work hard to make GummyPinkGraphics a success!
Here below you can see a snapshot of the traditional lion dance that is performed each year.
If you've ever witnessed this dance, you might have noticed the lion making its way through the streets, visiting storefronts, and playfully 'eating' cabbage hung at the entrances or even venturing inside. But what does this signify, and why is there often a red envelope nearby?
The 'lion' is a powerful creature in Chinese mythology, embodying strength and warding off evil spirits. Businesses invite lion dance troupes to perform in front of their stores, believing the sacred beast will bless them with good fortune and success in the year ahead.
The cabbage the lion eats is actually lettuce and if I’m not mistaken the Chinese characters for lettuce sound similar to ‘generating wealth’. That’s why you see the lion eating the lettuce. And lettuce is green, like money is often depicted as😊.
Furthermore, the lion often finds a red envelope, hidden within the lettuce. This envelope contains money, further symbolizing wealth and is given as a token of appreciation to the performers. It is also a symbol of the 'feeding' of the lion, ensuring that it is sated and content, bringing about a year of abundance.
There, now you learned something new about lunar new year and Billy.
