Chinese New Year Lion Dance
During Chinese New Year, lion dancer troupes visit homes and workplaces all over Singapore to perform the traditional custom of "cai ching" which translated means "plucking the greens". On Thursday we were visited by the lion dancers at the clinic.
Once the lion arrived it initially danced/walked through every nook and cranny of the clinic. I suspect this was either to scare away evil or to spread good fortune around.
Eventually our lion noticed the red envelope and slowly approached it like a curious cat. It then sat on the platter to "eat" the lettuce and moments later proceeded to spit out the lettuce and mandarin peels all over the clinic and us! I had lettuce all over me which is evidently very good luck. At the end of it all the lion left us an arrangement of mandarin slices which I was told said prosperity. They also left us our four lucky numbers for the year 5834.
It was quite the memorable experience. Since the lettuce and peels are considered to be auspicious, the girls at the clinic did not immediately clear away the pieces of orange and lettuce to prevent sweeping away all our good luck.
During this dance the lion must "pluck" (AKA rip apart and throw) the auspicious green vegetable (which is usually lettuce) along with auspicious fruits like mandarins. Why lettuce you might ask...well evidently the word "cai" for lettuce sounds similar to the word for fortune. The lettuce and oranges are then tied to a red envelope containing money and placed in front of the premises to await the lion.
Once the lion arrived it initially danced/walked through every nook and cranny of the clinic. I suspect this was either to scare away evil or to spread good fortune around.
Eventually our lion noticed the red envelope and slowly approached it like a curious cat. It then sat on the platter to "eat" the lettuce and moments later proceeded to spit out the lettuce and mandarin peels all over the clinic and us! I had lettuce all over me which is evidently very good luck. At the end of it all the lion left us an arrangement of mandarin slices which I was told said prosperity. They also left us our four lucky numbers for the year 5834.
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Living in Singapore
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