LIers mark Chinese New Year in Stony Brook

It may be the Year of the Rabbit, but a lion stole the show at the Ward Melville Heritage Organization's Chinese New Year celebration Sunday.

With the flip of its yellow sparkled tail and the chomping of red envelopes eagerly handed over by children into the lion's mouth, the event at the cultural center in Stony Brook began with a flourish. In Chinese tradition, the lion takes the envelopes, which contain money, and gives back lettuce, which the gilded creature spewed at the crowd toward the dance's end.

Among the performers were a group of local ballet students from the Spotlight Dance Academy in Stony Brook, who performed to traditional Chinese music, including a dance of younger students who fluttered their red scarves as they twirled. The older dancers performed "The Chinese Dance" from the traditional "Nutcracker" ballet.

The last performance was not by a group of Chinese musicians, but mostly Japanese, who have been performing at the group's Chinese New Year celebration for about eight years. Performer Peter Brown and drummers Hiroko Makabe of Yokohama, Japan, Akiyo Lieberson of Tokyo and Ping Larrabee of Singapore, played a melody of traditional and original compositions on their large round drums, with an exotic melody to a pounding beat. They later offered their large dowel-like sticks to the children so they could try.

Chinese New Year follows the lunar calendar. It lasts for 15 days. Cycles of 60 years each are made up of five sets of 12 years. Each year is named after an animal.

Emma Lily Alexander, 2, who was adopted from China when she was 8 months old, jumped and twirled as she held her mother's hands, dancing to the beat of the drums. "It was a nice event," said her mother, Nicola Alexander, who lives with her daughter and husband in Northport. "It's very important for my husband and I that we bring her up to see her heritage."

Steven and Janet Jacoby of Holbrook brought their daughters, Jaden, 4, and Caroline, 2. Janet, who is Chinese, said she wants to familiarize the girls with their heritage and "to try and introduce them to their culture," which is why she bought tickets to the event.
 

A quick history

• The Chinese New Year follows the moon.

• It falls halfway between the winter solstice and vernal equinox.

   

   

• 2011 is the Year of the Rabbit. An animal is repesented each year, repeating every 12 years.

   

   

• Red envelopes with cash are given to children for good luck and prosperity.

   

   

• The Chinese calendar goes back to at least the 14th century.

   

   

• In 1912, missionaries arriving in China brought the Gregorian calendar, or Western calendar, which is the one widely used today.

   

  Source: Chinese Culture Center of San Francisco; History.com; Newsday research