Lion Dance, Fireworks Spark Start of Year of the Dragon

The multi-colored lion, bulbous-eyed with wagging ears, writhed in between the Chevy coupe and the grey sedan. Blackclad men brandishing machetes whooped in its wake; fireworks resounded like gunshots, until the very sidewalks seemed to throb.

It was Chinese New Year yesterday, and Boston's Chinatown had brought out its full regalia for the event. An annual tradition that dates back 4674 years, the celebration is marked by such rituals as the dance of the lion, fireworks, and banqueting.

13 Hours After Peking

"They're doing these same things in Peking, only about 13 hours ahead of us," said one of the participants in the dance. He held a black pitchfork which he explained was one of the traditional weapons used in the ceremony.

The idea of the lion dance is to impart good luck to local merchants. During the course of the six-hour dance, the lion and its considerable entourage of flag-bearers, cymbal-clangers and general curiousity-seekers visit every business establishment in the neighborhood.

"We start at noon, and we'll probably be done by six," explained one of the gong-clangers. He had cotton in his ears to muffle the discharge of the fireworks. A firework exploded very close to his face, and he moved back, laughing. "I've been participating in this ceremony for ten years now," he added.

By now the lion was cavorting in front of the Heng Touk building, having moved down Beach Street and Harrison Avenue. One of the dancers dangled a head of lettuce, a tangerine, and a red envelope from a pole in front of the lion's face, and in a swooping gesture, it ate them all.

Thanks Lion

This bizarre rite is the merchant's way of thanking the lion. The lettuce and the tangerine are purely symbolic; however, the red envelope is full of money, money used to defray the expense of the $400 papier mache lion head, imported from Hong Kong, and the Kwangtung, China, fireworks.

"This is the Year of the Dragon," an elderly Chinese bystander commented. The dragon symbolizes good health, and is one of the twelve animals used in the Chinese calendar to designate years. Last year was the Year of the Hare, and he first animal in the cycle is the rat.

The streets were strewn with firecracker remains, smoke clouded the air, and the whoops and howls of the dancers could still be heard quite clearly as the moved down the street.