Everyday continues to be a learning experience in our new country.
Monday at the embassy we experienced the traditional salad toss and the lion dance of the Chinese New Year celebrations - both were so interesting and fun. The photo above is of the lovely grounds at the US embassy. It is a striking building, but we are not allowed to photograph it from the front.
I mentioned in an earlier post about the salad toss, called the Yu Sheng. D....squeezing his way to the front of the table. You are supposed to wear red on this special occasion.
Yu means fish or abundance in Mandarin, and Sheng meaning raw, but when pronounced appropriately, it also means life. Together, Yu Sheng symbolizes “abundance of wealth and long life.” The tossing action is called lo hei, which means, “tossing luck” or “rise again.”
Each ingredient in the salad represents a certain auspicious symbol.
- Fish – abundance
- Pomelo – luck
- Pepper – money
- Oil – excess of profits
- Carrots – blessings of good luck
- Radish – prosperity in business and promotion at work
- Peanut crumbs – gold and silver or eternal youth
- Sesame seeds – flourishing business
- Deep fried flour crisps – gold
- Noodles – Long life
When you add each ingredient to the plate, you recite greetings of good luck and prosperity. For instance, when adding the golden wanton crisps you say "Pang di huang jin" -- may your floor be covered in gold.
Once all the ingredients are added, everyone yell “lo hei (mix it up)” seven times, while tossing all the ingredients together (as high as possible) and eventually toward the center of the plate, to spread the luck around.
The end result is so colorful and it was very good. I had sesame seeds and salad particles up to my elbows!
Next came the lions and the "little Buddha" - they are considered to be a symbol for joy and happiness.
It takes two dancers to support the costume for the dance. One of them handles the head, made out of paper-mache and bamboo. The other dancer plays the body and the tail.
Normally the dancers are kung fu practitioners and their movements really create the feel of the playful lions. There are always three musicians with the lions playing cymbals or a gong and a large drum.
A Little Buddha teases the lions with a fan or a big ball.
We noticed lettuce hanging from the top of the door when we went outside. We learned that during the lion dance the goal is for the lions to grab the greens. In the old days, the lettuce was hung 15 to 20 feet above ground and only a well-trained martial artist could reach the lettuce & money while dancing with a heavy lion head.
The lion dance is actually the approach to grabbing the "greens" and "red envelope (with money). Once they grab it, they pretend to eat the greens.
Next, they played and danced around the plate of oranges and envelopes filled with money.
The little Buddha got our ambassador involved in the game. The lions are sitting on the oranges and teasing the ambassador with the oranges in their mouths - just like a dog plays. Thier movements were so animated you felt like they were real.
When the ambassador finally managed to get an orange from the lion, he threw it into the crowd. This was a big hit with the group.
While the one lion was playing catch, the other was busy pealing the oranges and arranging them on a plate.
Supposedly people will see numbers in the layout and play them in the lottery.
The lion dance is believed to bring good luck and fortune to the business.
It was a very hot and humid day - I cannot imagine dancing around with a hot costume on!
What a fun afternoon for all!
What a wonderful post, Cathy! Your photos and commentary are excellent! Love the smile on your hubby's face -- he looks to be enjoying the celebration.
Thanks so much for stopping by my blog and leaving a thoughtful comment. I appreciate it. :)
Posted by: Nancy | 02/02/2012 at 09:10 PM
This was a wonderful post! I love learning about all the different traditions you are discovering. And that D, does that guy ever stop grinning?? I'm guessing license to throw food would make most western fellows grin - LOL!
Posted by: Kathy | 02/03/2012 at 04:15 AM