Lions roaring in the Lunar New Year’s Year of the Dragon

CONCORD, CA (Feb. 15, 2024) — Eight lions pranced and roared to the pleasure of a full house at the Concord Library on Feb. 12 to mark the community’s celebration of the New Lunar Year and arrival of the Year of the Dragon.

Members of Tomizaki’s Champion Kung Fu Lion Dance Team, made up boys and girl ages 9 to 16, from the martial arts school at 4700 Clayton Rd. presented the festive entertainment.  As part of the performance, young attendees were encouraged to feed Lai See, or red envelopes, to the lions as a reward for their efforts. A loud drum also played during the performance, symbolizing the excited hear beats of the lions.

Master Daniel Tomizaki explained the youngsters are learning the movements, music, and the basics for years as part of his program. Then, in November, the serious training begins to bring all the skills together for the performances audiences are now seeing. Prior to the lions taking over the central area of the library, members of the Clayton Valley Charter High School Chinese Culture Club led a series of crafts planned for youngsters.

Lunar New Year changes based on cycles of the moon, and the celebration generally falls between January 21 and February 20, beginning with the second new moon after the winter solstice. The only mythical creature in the Chinese zodiac, the dragon has long been associated with growth, prosperity, and imperial power.

Upcoming lion dances are scheduled for The Veranda on Sunday, Feb. 18, starting at 10 a.m., and the evening of Tuesday, Feb. 20 at the Pleasant Hill Library, beginning at 6:30 p.m. through the generous support of the Friends of the Pleasant Hill Library.  An estimated seven to eight lions are planned for Pleasant Hill.

Tomizaki noted their lion dance performances scheduled for Martinez’s Main Street Plaza on Sunday, Feb. 25, as part of the Farmers Market, also will be accompanied by firework pyrotechnics.

David Scholz

David Scholz is back in journalism as a freelance writer and photographer after nearly two decades in education. Prior to moving into teaching in 2000, he worked as a full-time journalist since 1988 for rural community and small daily newspapers in Central Ohio and Northern Nevada, and later in California with The Business Journal in Fresno and dailies in the Bay Area, including The Oakland Tribune and The San Francisco Chronicle. More recently Scholz also worked in an editing, writing, and page layout role with the Rossmoor News.