House of Hunan celebrates Chinese New Year with lion dance

MEDINA — A lion dance was performed for patrons at House of Hunan on Sunday as a way to celebrate Chinese New Year and bring good fortune. Jack Suen is the owner of House of Hunan on the Medina Square, and his family has been operating the restaurant for 20 years. House of Hunan has a tradition of bringing the performance to its restaurant nearly every Chinese New Year. The lion dance is traditional in Chinese culture, with its roots dating back thousands of years, Suen said. Lions are considered to be lucky animals. "During Chinese New Year, you see the lion dance and the dragon dance," he said. "The dragon dance usually takes a minimum of 30 performers to do that. The lion dance has two people." The performance started at the front door of the restaurant with a prayer and by paying respects, Suen said. The lion dance is supposed to bring good luck for the incoming new year. "They also chase the bad things away," he said. "They get scared of the lions. They're dominant animals, so they chase the bad stuff away and bring good fortune." Patrons handed the lion red envelopes as it walked around the restaurant for luck. The lion gave out candies in exchange for red envelopes. The lion then put oranges in its mouth and encouraged patrons to catch them. Suen said having oranges at Chinese New Year is very common. "It's like a great golden pouch, so they give you that good fortune," he said. "Back in my country, people are fighting for that when the lion starts throwing. They only throw a few oranges, so people fight for it since that's really good luck." Today is Chinese New Year, and it is the start of the Year of the Horse. "We're happy to be a part of the community," Suen said. "We're very, very grateful to be a part of it." Contact reporter Madisyn Woodring at (330) 721-4049 or mwoodring@medina-gazette.com.