It's the first day
of Chinese Lunar New Year 4707
Year of the Ox ~
GUNG HAY FOT CHOY!
My ancestors came to California during the mid-1800's. They sojourned here from Canton to participate in the Gold Rush. Having Cantonese ancestry makes me an American-of-Southern- Chinese-descent (hyphenation-nation!).
Considering the relative newishness of NorthAmerica's west, my family is Long-time Californ'.
I think that'sa pretty darn special.
So it's Chinese New Year.
Time to reflect.
Time to renew.
It's also time to party.
An important part of the Chinese New Year partying celebration (besides eating) is lion dancing. For this southern gal, you can bet I've a decided preference for the southern Chinese version of the Lion Dance.
For a lesson in the basic elements of Chinese Lion Dancing, click here.
(once you get past the damn toothpaste ad in every video, there's some valuable basics to learn about
the lion dance)
P.S. True confession: in my adult life, I've been working to overcome my irrational childhood freak-out about being close-up to a dancing lion. I took the above photo during a face-to-face encounter with a dancing lion at the 2008 Bok Kai parade in Marysville, California. Definitely an EGADS! moment for me. DollinkDaughter JrS thought for sure that I was going to pass out, with camera in hand. Instead - I passed the freak-out muster...and snapped a decent pic, to boot.
the lion dance)
2 comments:
That's the most fuzzy, softy closeup lion face!!
Do you find it easier when you're behind the camera?
Great photo taken by an old California gal!
oh yes for sure. hiding behind the camera made the whole experience once removed from the real thing. funny how that can happen, isn't it?
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