Ah! What a classic movie from adolescence that was! But I digress before I even begin.
Last night we celebrated New Year’s Eve as we have for several years now, partaking of a marvelous tradition practiced in an equally wonderful little town in coastal North Carolina. On New Year’s Eve, local residents and visitors (such as our friend Cal, who came from Illinois to participate) gather in the streets alongside the harbor to await the ceremonial running of the dragon.
You heard me. A dragon. To be precise, a thirty-foot long fabric serpentine puppet, operated by seven carefully selected residents under the direction of a ‘dragon-master’.
The dragon weaves in and out through the hundreds (sometimes in excess of a thousand) noisy revelers, most of who are beating on pans or drums, or otherwise helping to drive away evil spirits from the upcoming new year in any cacophonous fashion possible, including trumpets and even a bagpipe in years past.
Just assembling a crowd in the presence of the beast is sufficient to secure good tidings for the community in the coming year. However, to ensure personal good fortune, it’s required that an individual touch the dragon, particularly the head.
It’s not for the faint-hearted, or those averse to loud noise or crowds, but given the ills that could befall each of us, it’s a small sacrifice to make just to keep the wolf from the door. And besides, it’s a safer bet than the stock market.
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Posted on January 1st, 2010 by jack-of-all-thumbs
Filed under: Rants and Musings
How cool, that is a great tradition. Did you touch the head?
I love departures from our standard modern American traditions…bastardly amalgams and derivatives that they often are. This one seems truer to the likely origins of our fireworks than the dropping of a ball on Times Square. And more fun.
It is very cool, enjoyed by those from eight to eighty. I should have pointed out that the town’s population is considerably below 1000 in the off season, so the event is certainly one of the year’s highlights. I would have to do some homework to determine the origins of this particular observation.
And, yes Ken, I did touch the head.
What a celebration! I like any thing that involves bright colors and noise! Happy New Year!
best wishes for a healthy new year.always glad that i stopped by to see what’s going on here.am quite fond of dragons and will have to remember this event.
Welcome back and Happy New Year! I owe you a Christmas card (as soon as I locate the card with the pictures in it). For what it’s worth, I haven’t sent anyone else one either…..Apologies and best wishes.