CNY - Chinese New Year

It's always a treat to be in a country that celebrates CNY.  Years ago I had visited Beijing during CNY but for some reason we didn't see all of the cool stuff like the lions and intense colors etc.  All we could do was cover our eyes so we didn't loose one due to all of the 5 year olds setting off firecrackers all over.  Probably because we were staying away from the city in a dingy area.
But THIS year, I am lucky enough to be on the island of Penang in Malaysia which is heavily Chinese populated area and have seen some cool things and learned more about the traditions of CNY...

Long, long time ago in ancient China, there was a wild beast that attacked and killed villagers that would appear at the end of each year.  The people called it 'Nian', which was a word for 'year.'  To scare 'Nian' away, firecrackers would be set and lanterns lit brightly along with red paper cutouts placed at entrances.  The loud noises, bright lights and red papers were frightening enough to the beast that it left the people alone.  That was how the tradition of Chinese New Year was born, celebrated with loud firecrackers (are there any other kind?) and homes decorated with beautiful lanterns and intricate red paper cutouts.

Check out Wiki for more details.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lion_dance