Each year the crowd gets bigger at our village Chinese New Year celebrations. Our CEO, Chiou See, is a Chinese Singaporean so she knows how to party on this day. There were 250 guests, which included residents families and friends. Chiou See and her staff did an amazing job at preparing and cooking variety of Chinese dishes for 250 people. She also organised a Lion Dancers and treats for all the children.
There are two people operating the lion. The Lion Dance shouldn't be confused with the Dragon Dance where there are many dancers in a long dragon outfit.
Bill is the official videographer. His videos are posted on the Elements Retirement Living at Springwood Facebook Page.
The dancers are given a challenge of reaching a lettuce that is hanging from the ceiling. Plucking the greens brings good luck and fortune.
The crowd arrives we were greeted by a staff member offering spring rolls, prepared by 3 of the residents.
Our volunteer bar staff, Eric, Terry and Patrick.
Chiou See explains how to feed the lions with money in a little red envelope on the table.
Putting donations into the envelopes for the lion dancers.
The lion dancers perform the dance with Kung Fu movements to a vigorous drum beat. They are accompanied by the smiling Dai To Fut, who lures the lions with a fan.
After an energetic performance they dance among the audience to be fed with the envelopes.
They sometimes eat your head.
The lion munches the lettuce and spits it out to the audience for good luck.
The lettuce is flying through the air and the dancer's envelope rewards are bulging in his t-shirt.
The colourful fun dance ends and it's time for dinner.
We are encouraged to wear red at these celebrations. A good luck colour for the Chinese.
It is tradition for the eldest person at the party gives the children an envelope with money. So all the children lined up and were given ice cream and then their envelope.
