Chinese New Year starts this Friday, February 12th. Lion dancing is one of the most popular traditions during the celebratory two weeks, accompanied by drums and strings of firecrackers. Atlas Obscura has done an article on taking lion dancing to the next level - doing the moves while balancing on poles.

It's pretty amazing to watch the video. I've included a short explanation of the Chinese zodiac animal (Ox) at the end. Enjoy!

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Malaysia Has Turned Lion Dancing Into a Gravity-Defying Extreme Sport

Meet some of the troupes taking an ancient tradition to new heights.

Atlas Obscura, February 2021

Video of pole lion dancing in the article: https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/lion-dance-competition-malaysia

(excerpt) At the biannual Genting World Lion Dance Championship in Malaysia in 2018, a series of 21 poles, ranging from four to eight feet in height, lined the arena. On top of each one was a platform 12 inches in diameter. Suddenly, a pale blue Chinese lion with a white fur trim jumped up onto the stilts to the rhythm of a beating drum and clanging cymbals. Bucking its head and rearing up on its hind legs, the lion seemed to leap effortlessly between the poles—some as far as 6 feet apart.

Chinese Horoscope 2021 – Year of the Metal Ox

The Chinese New Year will start on February 12th, 2021, and will last until January 31st, 2022. The Ox is the second out of the twelve zodiac signs: Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, and Pig. The elemental energy is Metal in this year’s cycle.

In the Chinese Zodiac, the Ox is very hardworking and methodical. 2021 is going to be a year when those who work diligently and carefully will be rewarded. The Yin energy, specific to the Chinese zodiac sign of Ox, will be quite poignant. This is going to be a year when we will fully feel the weight of our responsibilities, a year when it is necessary to double our efforts to accomplish anything at all.

This year, no explosive or catastrophic events will occur, so it is a favorable year for economic recovery or consolidation, a year of long-term investments (especially for creating a reserve for the coming unproductive years). The Metal Ox year is also great for making order in the family life. After all, if the family life is peaceful, everything gets solved!

Thus, 2021 is a year when all the problems get solved with discipline – a lot of discipline.

(from: https://www.thechinesezodiac.org/chinese-horoscope-2021-year-of-the-metal-ox/)