Myths

The "Nian" tale:

Every spring before Chinese New Year, also known as the Spring Festival, a beast called "Nian" would attack a small village and destroy their precious crops. Tired of the destruction, the villagers banded together and devised a creative solution. They built a fierce and brightly colored costume with a large mask boasting a lion's visage. When Nian returned to terrorize the villagers again, they donned the costume and waved the mask towards Nian. The prancing movements along with the cacophony of beating pots and pans frightened and drove the beast away, who never returned again. Ever since, the performance has been reenacted annually during Lunar New Year and symbolizes happiness, success, and good fortune. In some accounts of the story, the beast was actually a lion. After being tamed by a Buddhist monk, it became the guardian of the village. Thus, some lion dances include the Big Headed Buddha (known as Dai Tao Fut in Cantonese).

Good omen dream:

In a Tang dynasty legend, an emperor dreams that his life is saved by an odd-looking creature he had never seen before. Upon waking, the emperor described the creature to his advisers and asked them what creature was in his dream. Nobody had the answer except for one of his ministers. Since there were no lions in China, the minister told him that the creature was a lion. As the emperor felt his dream had messages of good omen, he ordered the construction of the model "lion."

Born again lion:

The mythical lion residing in the heavens had a fondness for practical jokes. One day, the lion's behavior angered the Jade Emperor. The Jade Emperor killed the lion and tossed its detached head and body outside to rot. Feeling pity, Kwan Yin, the Goddess of Mercy, reattached the lion's head to its body with a red sash and revived it on the condition that the lion would do acts of goodwill. Today, the red sash seen on the lion head symbolizes positive life energy, Yang energy (Yang is opposed by Yin, which is negative energy). Goddess Kwan Yin also attached a unicorn horn and reflective object (i.e. mirror) in the front of the lion's forehead, which are believed to bring good fortune and drive away evil spirits (a unicorn is one of the celestial animals in Chinese folklore).

Rituals

Opening:

A lion begins by blessing its environment and bowing three times. In many cultures, the bow is a sign of respect and honor. In Chinese culture, three bows are a sign of the deepest reverence for someone.

Playing:

After showing respect, the lion begins to play by jumping on top of various objects, such as benches or poles. By performing amazing feats for the crowd, the lion displays its skills to enhance its heroic qualities.

Searching:

When the lion is done playing, it begins a quest for food as it needs sustenance for its upcoming spiritual battle.

Eating:

The lion's food is usually found dangling on the end of a string. Lions most commonly eat lettuce and tangerines. The lettuce, or "Chin" (literally "greens"), is a symbol of wealth and luck. The tangerines symbolize longevity, explained by their spherical shape. The lion eats by taking all of the food into its mouth. After shredding the lettuce and splitting the tangerine into quarters, the lion "spits" the food out over the audience. This symbolizes spreading wealth and is the actual blessing in the dance. Also hanging on the string is a red envelope containing money as an offering to the lion. As in many religions, a tithe or similar offering is provided as a sign of gratitude for the blessing.

Closing:

Once the quest is complete and the blessing is performed, the lion comes to the end of its routine. The lion cleans its beard and once again makes three bows. Like the earlier cleaning and bows symbolized the beginning, these symbolize the end.

Sleeping:

The lion returns to its slumber by closing the dream sequence. As the lion fades back into the mythical realm, it returns to a calm, restive state.

Music:

The music of the lion dance is led by the drum and is accompanied by the gong and cymbals. In the East, drums are commonly used as instruments of celebration. In Africa, drums are used to expel demons. In lion dancing, the music wakes the lion up and stirs it to give the blessing.