Garuda Indonesia Colours Magazine February 2015 | Page 95

Travel | Shanghai
Lion and Dragon Dances

93

A close-up view of ornately decorated
Chinese firecrackers.

Lion and dragon dances are common during
the Chinese New Year due to their association
with the origin of the festival, where it is believed
that the loud drumming and clashing of
cymbals will chase away bad luck and evil
spirits. During the festive period, lion dance
troupes are invited by merchant associations,
shops, offices and homes to perform the
traditional dance of ‘picking the fortune’, which
involves the ‘lion’ eating green lettuces and
oranges and arranging them into auspicious
Chinese characters. The dance is believed to
bring good luck and fortune to the customer
and the troupe is rewarded with a red packet.

Tari barongsai biasa dijumpai saat Tahun
Baru China karena kepercayaan bahwa suara
drum dan simbal dapat mengusir kesialan dan
roh jahat. Selama festival, barongsai diundang
oleh banyak himpunan pedagang, toko, kantor
dan rumah-rumah untuk melakukan atraksi
“mengambil rezeki”. Barongsai akan mengambil
selada dan jeruk lalu membentuknya menjadi
aksara China. Tarian itu dipercaya dapat
membawa keberuntungan dan rezeki kepada
pemilik usaha maupun rumah. Para penari
barongsai kemudian diberi hadiah angpau.

A Vibrant Chinese dragon and
Chinese New Year celebrations at Yu
Gardens.

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© udeyismail / Shutterstock; © chungking / Shutterstock

Chinese New Year is
about hope, happiness
and renewal, and its
most important focus
is the family.

Money in red envelopes is handed out to
children and unmarried friends, signifying
the transmission of good fortune and
good wishes.
The Chinese often buy new household items,
gifts and red clothes (especially underwear)
just before the beginning of New Year. Hit
Nanjing Road, one of China’s most famous
shopping streets, for New Year promotions
and sales. It has some of the largest
department stores in the country, their
escalators a cascade of a million jostling

shoppers a day. The street is ablaze until
late at night with glowing neon signs and
bright with New Year decorations.
Superstitions and traditional beliefs have
always imbued Chinese New Year. These
days they’re more likely to be observed
among Chinese communities overseas,
as many have fallen into abeyance in
mainland China, where New Year has
become very secularised. However, many
people avoid bad language and unlucky
words, knives and scissors (which will ‘cut’
your luck), and even fresh tofu because it’s
white, the traditional colour for Chinese
mourning. People try not to fall, stumble
or cry, as this will only set the pattern for
the coming year. This is also a time to pay
off debts and be nice to dogs: according
to tradition, the second day of New Year
is every dog’s birthday.
The din of a thousand exploding firecrackers
and the banging of drum s and cymbals are
designed to scare away evil spirits for the