LIHUE — Hundreds of people — residents and visitors alike — gathered at The Shops at Kukuiula in Poipu on Friday evening, and at the Kukui Grove Center in Lihue to welcome the Year of the Wood Snake by visiting the Tsunami Taiko Chinese lions with lai see, or red envelopes with cash.
Aleander &Baldwin Regional Manager Stacie Chiba-Miguel advised guests to The Shops that the lucky number is eight as The Shops’ Security Detail finalized the stringing of 8,000 (the number is eight!) firecrackers to welcome the Kauai trio of lions and accompanying corps of percussion performers.
The start of the lunar new year upon which the Chinese calendar is based, took place on Wednesday when island residents were anticipating the arrival of what was described by television weather people as the largest winter storm of the season.
According to the Chinese New Year website (the occasion is so widespread, it even has its own website at www.chinesenewyear.net), one of the myths about Chinese New Year involves a monster named Nian who lived at the bottom of the sea and would come up once a year to feast on animals and humans.
On this day, the villagers would escape to the mountains.
One day, a beggar came seeking shelter, but the villagers were busy escaping to the mountains. An old woman took in the beggar who promised to chase Nian away.
At midnight, Nian came, but stopped short after seeing the red paper on the villagers’ doors. As it roared in anger, firecrackers popped and Nian trembled in fear, seeing the beggar dressed in red laughing at it. All it could do was run away.
When the villagers returned, they were surprised their homes were still standing and realized that loud noises and the color red were Nian’s kryptonite.
As the smoke from the firecrackers (The Shops was the only one having firecrackers) wafted into the wind and the popping blended with the thunk thunking of taiko punctuated with the metallic clang of cymbals, the lions began their dance and collection of lai see, or wishes of good fortune and prosperity.
Earlier during Friday, Pillare Mukai said the management team visited the Koloa Elementary School with a contribution totaling $4,817 representing the school’s gift package campaign that ran from Black Friday, or the day after Thanksgiving, through the holidays, and a contribution from The Shops.
“You should’ve seen the kids’ faces,” said Mukai. “They were impressed. The principal, Leila Kobayashi, told them, ‘See? With a little more effort, we could reach $5,000.’”
Amidst the lai see, taiko, dancing lions and photos, there will be more this weekend, said Joanne Parongao of Tsunami Taiko.
“Mark Zeffers of The Storybook Theater hired a group who will come directly from the airport to Friday Night Art in Hanapepe on Friday,” Parongao said. “They wanted the Tsunami Taiko lions to help with the restaurants, but we’re short-handed.”
Lexi Jones, the market manager for the Downtown Lihue Night Market that meets on the second Saturday of the month was not sure if this is the same group, but said there will be lions on the street on Friday and Saturday if everything goes right.
“We’ll have lions at the Open Mic night on Friday,” Jones said. “And on Saturday, lions will be on the street at the Downtown Lihue Night Market.”
Melissa McFerrin-Warrack, the special events coordinator at the Kukuui Grove Center, said there will be a visiting group of Chinese lions performing on Saturday starting at 11 a.m.
“Tsunami Taiko will be here performing taiko, but will have an opportunity to watch and learn from this group,” McFerrin-Warrack said. “We calling this ‘Hearts and Dragons,’ because we’re having the Kauai Made vendors and the K+M Market together on this Valentine-themed Movie Night.”