There were some unusual sights spotted at YVR today – namely, whole heads of romaine lettuce hanging from various locations, as well as a few lions on the loose.
Seemingly unrelated, lettuce and lions are both key components of the Chinese New Year, which we celebrated at YVR this morning.
To mark Chinese New Year, airport employees and visitors were treated to a visual feast of size, shape and colour: a traditional lion dance performance. Known for its ornately decorated costumes, the dance is used to bless; it chases away evil spirits and opens the door for all good things: health, happiness, wealth and prosperity.
Throughout the morning, the festive lion dance troupe moved throughout the terminals to visit airline counters and retailers to deliver some key symbols of good luck, including lettuce (regarded as an auspicious green, symbolizing a fresh start for the new year) and red envelopes (which symbolize good luck and are supposed to ward off evil spirits).
GUNG HAY FAT CHOI!
Fun Fact: Did you know that YVR has more flights to China than any other North American airport?