The Chinese Association of Newfoundland and Labrador is celebrating the Lunar New Year with a family funday today at the Royal Canadian Legion on The Boulevard in St. John’s.

Tzu Hao Hsu says families are invited to take part in the festivities which will include treats for the kids and a Lion dance performance.

Tzu, a classical dancer, has performed the Lion Dance, which involves two dancers who bring an elaborate lion costume to life.

She says whether you’re performing as the head or the tail of the lion, both roles are challenging and require great physical fitness.

“The person who is in front,” says Tzu, “has the job of expressing and making the lion look alive, through puppetry that’s available inside the lion’s head. But the tail is the one that wags the tail and follows the steps.” The tail keeps “the movement in synch” and serves as the grounding force for the head. She says this year they’re lucky to have “some really well-trained folks who actually have previous martial arts backgrounds joining us this year.”

2025 is the Year of the Snake on the lunar calendar, a time of transition and change, but also opportunity.