CNMI joins celebrations to welcome the Year of the Dragon
It was colorful display of culture as members of the Saipan Chinese Association welcomed the Year of the Dragon with several performances of the lion dance when the association visited several establishments last Saturday, Feb. 10, to mark the Lunar New Year.
The lion dances, which are believed to attract the blessings of the lunar new year, brought the dancers to the Hyatt Regency Saipan, TSL Plaza, Crowne Plaza Resort Saipan, POI Aviation, Century Tours, the JP Center, CTSI Logistics, the ARC building, Duty Free Saipan, and Pacific Islands Club Saipan.
With hotels and businesses hanging a vegetable offering in front of their establishments, the lions would then “devour” the greens and spit out of their mouth a blessing scroll.
As always, the colorful dancing, crashing cymbals, and beating drums drew crowds to watch and take part in the celebration. And as always, many pictures were taken and smiles produced and as in the case at Crowne Plaza Resort Saipan, many of the youngest spectators were successful in snatching some of the vegetable offerings. The young boys mostly went for the carrots, until one of the older boys said “I don’t know why you guys keep trying to get the carrots! You can just buy one from LJ [Store].”
The exposure and celebration of culture was one of the reasons many spectators, both tourist and community members alike, gathered to watch.
Rob Epley, who is a fifth grade teacher at Garapan Elementary School, said he and three other teachers brought altogether 18 of their students to watch the celebration at Hyatt.
“Yes, we wanted them to get the cultural experience, learning respect and appreciation for other cultures, and hearing the fireworks. This is our Saturday school program, ‘Health and Wellness.’ And we look for activities in the community where we can to expose the students to different cultures, learning respect, doing activities outdoors. Our program is every Saturday…and we have 18 students with us here today. “
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-CHRYSTAL MARINO
Crowne Plaza Resort Saipan general manager Clayton Darlington shows the blessing scroll given to him by the Saipan Chinese Association during the lion dance last Saturday.
-CHRYSTAL MARINO
The festive dragons reach for the vegetable offering during the Saipan Chinese Association’s dragon dance at the Crowne Plaza Resort Saipan in Garapan last Saturday.
-CHRYSTAL MARINO
The festive dragon dance draws a crowd of spectators at the Crowne Plaza in Garapan on Saturday
-CHRYSTAL MARINO
Saipan Chinese Association members prepare to begin the lion dance at the Crowne Plaza Resort Saipan in Garapan last Saturday.
-CHRYSTAL MARINO
Saipan Hyatt Regency general manager Simon Graf, center, shows the blessing scroll given to him last Saturday onsite at the resort in Garapan.
– CHRYSTAL MARINO
The dragon presents Saipan Hyatt Regency General Manager Simon Graf with the blessing scroll after the dragon dance at the Hyatt in Garapan.
– CHRYSTAL MARINO
Spectators look on as the festive dragons dance along popping firecrackers at the Hyatt Regency Saipan in Garapan last Saturday.
– CHRYSTAL MARINO
The dragon dance is set to begin as dozens of excited spectators watch at the Saipan Hyatt Regency in Garapan Saturday.
-CHRYSTAL MARINO
Phones are out as spectators eagerly wait for the dragon dance to begin at the Hyatt Regency in Garapan last Saturday.
-CHRYSTAL MARINO
