Lion Dance Festival-Boston MA

here is some information on the Lion Dance taken from wikipedia:

During the Chinese New Year, lion dancers from martial art school will visit the houses and store front of businesses to "chai ching" (採青 lit. picking the greens). The business would tie an "Ang Pow" red envelope filled with money to a head of lettuce and hang it high above the front door. The lion will approach the lettuce like a curious cat, consume the lettuce and spit out the leaves but not the money. Some other types "Chai Ching" requires the lion dancers to open the lettuce carefully to retrieve the money and create a design or a pattern out of it, and place it back from where they had "eaten" it from. Sometimes the "Ang Pow" is hidden inside the lettuce, or the "Ang Pow" will be given later judging on how well the dancers have "designed" the lettuce. The lion dance is supposed to bring good luck and fortune to the business and the dancers receive the money as reward. The tradition becomes a mutual transaction.


Overall, it was really fun and China Town was packed with people.