Lucky Dance of the Lion ~ Chinese New Year 09 Log
Who: Any participants
What: Chinese New Year's Festival
Where: Town park
When: Takes place 1/26 all day.
Warnings: Please keep the content here PG-13. Take it to the journals and lock it if it gets any naughtier than that.
As the town is prone to doing, suddenly the entire town has been changed overnight and is now glittering in golds and lavished in reds throughout. Colorful dragon and lion statues scale light posts and cling to the corners of some major buildings (City Hall is bedecked with a pair of each!). Streamers and ribbons, paper lanterns and floral bouquets can be found all across town. Gold bells tinkle in crisp gusts of wind as the day begins, the sun shining brightly in a clear blue sky. The snow has finally all melted away and the lake in the middle of town is free of ice. Instead, drifting across the surface of the water are hundreds of delicate lotus blossoms.
As the day gets underway, those heading out will notice that there is activity bustling in the park. Rows of vendor carts are on the grounds. Some offer hot fresh dumplings, others are serving hot tea. Rice flour balls are being served as well as treats in the spirits of the holiday - lotus candies and sesame candies. Some are even handing out trinkets for free in celebration of the Year of the Ox - a choice between a small gold bell shaped as a cow or a small carved jade one. Another stand is handing out small firecrackers to those coming to participate who want a little bang (though it is a very little bang). Several particularly exuberant vendors are handing out fortune cookies to any and all they come across. Gold and red decorations are also strung throughout the park and fake fish and stylized lion decorations mark off the festival area at the borders of the park.
Winding its way all around the park, and even throughout town, as if on parade all alone, are several ethereal lion-dance lions. They seem to be manned by people, unnamed citizens celebrating the new year, but there is something about them that leaves one with the feeling that they have just met something more. They rears and snaps their jaws as they dance and move about those present, veering toward a person and clamping paper teeth around their head, bestowing good luck on them for the year to come. They move in fluid motion and jarring jerks, never tiring, nothing barring their path.
What: Chinese New Year's Festival
Where: Town park
When: Takes place 1/26 all day.
Warnings: Please keep the content here PG-13. Take it to the journals and lock it if it gets any naughtier than that.
As the town is prone to doing, suddenly the entire town has been changed overnight and is now glittering in golds and lavished in reds throughout. Colorful dragon and lion statues scale light posts and cling to the corners of some major buildings (City Hall is bedecked with a pair of each!). Streamers and ribbons, paper lanterns and floral bouquets can be found all across town. Gold bells tinkle in crisp gusts of wind as the day begins, the sun shining brightly in a clear blue sky. The snow has finally all melted away and the lake in the middle of town is free of ice. Instead, drifting across the surface of the water are hundreds of delicate lotus blossoms.
As the day gets underway, those heading out will notice that there is activity bustling in the park. Rows of vendor carts are on the grounds. Some offer hot fresh dumplings, others are serving hot tea. Rice flour balls are being served as well as treats in the spirits of the holiday - lotus candies and sesame candies. Some are even handing out trinkets for free in celebration of the Year of the Ox - a choice between a small gold bell shaped as a cow or a small carved jade one. Another stand is handing out small firecrackers to those coming to participate who want a little bang (though it is a very little bang). Several particularly exuberant vendors are handing out fortune cookies to any and all they come across. Gold and red decorations are also strung throughout the park and fake fish and stylized lion decorations mark off the festival area at the borders of the park.
Winding its way all around the park, and even throughout town, as if on parade all alone, are several ethereal lion-dance lions. They seem to be manned by people, unnamed citizens celebrating the new year, but there is something about them that leaves one with the feeling that they have just met something more. They rears and snaps their jaws as they dance and move about those present, veering toward a person and clamping paper teeth around their head, bestowing good luck on them for the year to come. They move in fluid motion and jarring jerks, never tiring, nothing barring their path.