Luck of the Lion

    Every year in China, lions run loose through the streets. They dance to the beat of a drum. Crowds clap and cheer them on. Stores and restaurants open their doors to invite the lions in. 

    But don’t worry—these aren’t real lions. They’re dancers in colorful costumes. And they’re on an important mission: to ring in Chinese New Year. 

    Every year in China, lions run through the streets. They dance to the beat of a drum. Crowds clap and cheer them on. Stores and restaurants invite the lions in.

    But don’t worry. These aren’t real lions. They’re dancers in costumes. It’s their job to ring in Chinese New Year.

    Every year in China, lions run loose through the streets. They dance to the beat of a drum as crowds clap and cheer them on. Stores and restaurants open their doors to invite the lions in.

    But don’t worry—these aren’t real lions. They’re dancers in colorful costumes, and they’re on an important mission: to ring in Chinese New Year.

    Chinese New Year is also known as Lunar New Year or Spring Festival. It is the most important holiday in China. It marks the start of a new year on the lunar calendar. (That’s a calendar based on the cycles of the moon.) This year, Chinese New Year starts on February 10.

    In China, the holiday has been celebrated for nearly 3,500 years. According to legends, it all began with a monster named Nian [nee-ehn]. This beast swept through Chinese villages near the start of each year. No one could stop it from eating animals or scaring children.

    Then one year, a brave old man chased Nian away for good. How? He wore bright red and lit bamboo on fire. As the plant burned, it glowed and crackled loudly. Nian is said to have run away, scared off by the bright light, loud noises, and color red. 

    To keep Nian away for good, villagers created their own beast. They crafted a brightly colored lion mask with a cloth body. When worn by two people, it looked alive—and scary enough to protect against Nian forever.

    Chinese New Year is also known as Lunar New Year or Spring Festival. It’s the most important holiday in China. It marks the start of a new year on the lunar calendar. (That’s a calendar based on the cycles of the moon.) This year, Chinese New Year starts on February 10.

    In China, the holiday has been celebrated for nearly 3,500 years. Legends say it began with a monster named Nian. This beast came to Chinese villages near the start of each year. It ate animals. It scared children. No one could stop it.

    Then one year, an old man chased Nian away for good. How? He wore bright red. He lit bamboo on fire. As the plant burned, it glowed and crackled loudly. The bright light, loud noises, and color red scared Nian away.

    To keep Nian away, villagers made their own beast. They made a colorful lion mask and a cloth body. When worn by two people, it looked alive. And it looked scary enough to protect against Nian.

    Chinese New Year—also known as Lunar New Year or Spring Festival—is the most important holiday in China. It marks the start of a new year on the lunar calendar, a calendar based on the cycles of the moon. This year, Chinese New Year starts on February 10.

    In China, the holiday has been celebrated for nearly 3,500 years. According to legends, it all began with a monster named Nian. This beast swept through Chinese villages near the start of each year, eating animals and frightening children.

    Then one year, a courageous old man chased Nian away for good by wearing bright red and lighting bamboo on fire. As the plant burned, it glowed and crackled loudly. Nian is said to have run away, scared off by the bright light, loud noises, and color red.

    To keep Nian away for good, villagers crafted their own beast: a brightly colored lion mask with a cloth body. When worn by two people, it looked alive—and scary enough to protect against Nian forever.