In San Francisco, we hold the largest celebration of Lunar New Year in the United States. As I walked among the streets with a friend, we overheard someone say that the fireworks were scaring the demons away. Our ears felt like they were going to blow right off of our heads. Saying the explosives are loud was an understatement.

This all goes back to an old Chinese legend about a beast called ‘Nian’. Legend has it that Nian is bad luck. Nian with the head of a lion, a smooshed face, and the body of a dog, comes to steal your children and eats your crops, among other things and creates a host of misfortune. Anything good, he will take from you.

People used to bang pots and pans to scare away Nian since the beast is said to not like loud noises. With advances in time, explosive powders evolved and fireworks were made. Instead of using pots and pans, everyone started to use small explosives instead to scare the beast away. All of those loud fireworks are so we can all live in prosperity, and have good luck throughout the year.

In the parade, the performers march down the street with beasts of Nian in numbers, and drum on with the zodiac animal of the year chasing behind beasts of Nian.

When Nian comes to the storefronts, loud fireworks are set off to scare him away from their fortune. It’s like a clearing of any bad energy lingering around.

So that’s the story behind it all. Any demons that may have been left in me were jolted out of me with all the explosives on that very night of the first new moon and first full moon of the year! And I have to say, the celebration left me with a feeling of luck and optimism for the new year, along with many others. Wishing everyone out there lots of luck and prosperity in the New Year too! May your demons be few, and your prosperity and luck be plenty.

-Keri

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