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. During this time, many traditional celebrations are enjoyed with family and friends to start off the new year in the right way. Many Chinese people believe that how you start off the New Years will foreshadow how the rest of your coming year will be so its very important to bring in as much luck as possible and at the same time ward off all the bad or unlucky things.

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. The “lion” is made up usually of 2-3 (sometimes even more!) dancers working underneath the elaborately decorated lion costume to bring the lion to life. Some lettuce is hung up along with a lucky Red Pocket with money inside for the lion to gobble up. Once he reaches the lettuce, he will tear it apart and throw it back at the audience.

Phonetically, the word “lettuce” in Chinese also means “Good Fortune” or “Prosperity“. That is why it’s important to “catch the lettuce” when you see it being thrown at you during the Lion Dance. Make sure you reach up high and grab as much as you can

(Can’t make it today? Join us on Saturday January 28th at Richmond Centre for another performance!)