Celebrate Lunar New Year with a Traditional Lion Dance Blessing

The Lunar New Year is upon us, and the Mount Pleasant BIA and Chau Luen Athletics invite you to join the festivities as we welcome the Year of the Fire Horse with a traditional Lion Dance Blessing and bringing the community together.

Start the New Year with Good Fortune

The celebration begins at 12 PM at Sun Hop Park, where the lion dancers will perform the opening blessing to help usher in good luck and positive energy for the year ahead. It’s a meaningful way to start Lunar New Year and a chance to experience a long-standing cultural tradition in the neighbourhood.

Lion dances have been part of Lunar New Year celebrations for centuries, traditionally performed to bring prosperity and protection. Today, they continue as a shared celebration, marked by music, movement, and community gathering.

The Lion Takes to the Streets

Following the ceremony at Sun Hop Park, the lion dancers will make their way along Main Street, visiting participating businesses and sharing blessings as they go. This year, the route will run from Broadway up to 29th Avenue, making it easy to catch the lion in action as it moves through the neighbourhood.

Why Do Lions Visit Stores?

This tradition of the lion visiting stores is more than just a colorful performance, it’s a way to usher in luck and prosperity for businesses in the coming year. Here’s how it works:

  • Participating stores hang fresh lettuce (生菜, sang choy) and red envelopes outside their storefronts.
  • The word for lettuce sounds like “fortune” (財, choy) in Chinese, making it a perfect symbol of abundance and prosperity.
  • The lions “eat” the lettuce, chew it, and spit it out in front of the store, showering the space with lettuce pieces, symbolizing the spreading of good fortune.

Join the Celebration!

Come by for the opening ceremony, and if you’d like, follow the lion along Main Street as the celebration continues. Whether you stay for a moment or take in the full route, it’s a great way to mark the start of the Lunar New Year and support local businesses along the way.

Event Details
Date: February 21, 2026
Time: 12 PM
Location: Sun Hop Park, Main Street

We hope you’ll join us to welcome the Year of the Fire Horse and start the Lunar New Year together!