Super Saturday in Chinatown NYC – Lion Dance
February 8th, 2014 by Mr. C
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The 2nd Saturday after Chinese Lunar New Year is a day where the Lions come out and play, dance, and ward off evil spirits going door to door to local shops in Chinatown. In turn, the Lion dancers get red envelopes filled with money from each business as gratuity as they perform, eat lettuce, chomp on oranges, and some even get drunk to welcome in an auspicious new year! The Lion Dance is known to bring good luck and fortune to the business owners. The pre-Giuliani years even had the presence of firecrackers and fireworks in the mix of the Lion Dance ceremonies. Those days were buckwild! The 5th Police Precinct in Chinatown NYC holds a long history of this Saturday celebration with keeping order in the community. I usually see at least 2 officers walk with each lion dance troupe along their route. At least 15 martial art schools and local chinese guild associations make up the Lion dance teams and/or Dragon dance teams that perform on this day. This Saturday of lion dancing throughout the streets of Manhattan’s Chinatown is unofficially known as Super Saturday by the officers in the 5th who help with organizing the event. I look forward to this day even more than the organized lunar new year parade. I find it more festive and significant.
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(Crimson Kings)
(Golden Lion Club)
(Ho-nan Shau-lin Golden Dragon Team)
(Yee’s Hung Ga Kung Fu)
(Master Pedro Cepero (thumbs up) + Grandmaster Frank Yee (left))
(Chinese Masonic Athletic Association)
(Luen Hing)
(New York Hung Sing Kwoon)
(Shaolin Kung Fu Institute)
(Staten Island Lions)
(Wan Chi Ming Hung Gar Institute)
(Yip’s Dragon Style Kung Fu)
Tags: chiense new year, chinatown, chinese new year 2014, lion dancing
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