Wynn Magazine - Las Vegas
Issue link: http://digital.greengale.com/i/49393
MACAU SPOTLIGHT Celebrating Chinese New Year the Wynn Macau way BY MATT KELEMEN GOOD FORTUNE C 86 WYNN hinese New Year is an important holiday at Wynn Resorts on both sides of the globe. Although great lengths are taken to make Asian guests feel at home in Las Vegas, Chinese New Year is celebrated in a unique and upscale way at Wynn Macau. In anticipation of this important holiday, Wynn Macau welcomes the traditions of Chinese New Year with vibrant festivities throughout the resort. The upcoming Year of the Dragon is dedicated to the most noble and revered of the 12 zodiac animals in the lunar calendar. "Our first Chinese New Year celebrations took place in February 2007, and we continue to honor the tradition each year with colorful dragon and lion dance performances parading through the property and a lighting of firecrackers by the Performance Lake," says Wynn Macau president Ian Michael Coughlan. "Each event holds special sig- nificance in Chinese tradition." In 2012, the first day of the Lunar New Year falls on January 23, and the festivities begin outdoors, at the entrance to Wynn Macau. The welcom- ing of a prosperous new year is celebrated with a dragon and nine lions performing a traditional dance to ward off bad luck. "Before the dance begins, Wynn executives will dot the eyes with red ink from a calligraphy brush to 'awaken' the spirit of each animal, bringing them to life so that they can perform their dances," explains Coughlan. After the blessing, the dance commences to the beating of drums and the clashing of cymbals. During the dance, the lions pick lettuce hang- ing just above them. The Chinese word for "lettuce" sounds just like the Chinese term for "wealth," and that is why the lions must "pick up wealth" both outside and inside the resort. At the conclusion of the dance at the main entrance, the dragon will lead a Wynn executive to light more than 800,000 firecrackers—enough noise to drive the fierce beast Nian away from the property. An ancient legend tells of a ferocious mythical monster named Nian who could only be frightened away by three things: the color red, loud noises, and firecrackers. The Macau government has allocated areas on the Macau peninsula and nearby Taipa island so that residents can celebrate the traditions of the New Year by firing off their own firecrack- ers. (Macau is one of the few places in the region where this is permitted.) And of course, the bigger the fireworks, the better, and the more firecrack- ers one has, the more luck one will have in the new year. Once the firecrackers have gone off, the parade of lion dances con- tinues inside the Wynn Macau resort, and guests of Wynn Macau's restaurants are presented with red packets of Chinese New Year greet- ings by a man dressed as the God of Fortune. The look of the resort is transformed during the New Year celebra- tions as well. Each year, a beautiful, handcrafted 35-foot dragon made of Chinese fabric adorns the lobby in accordance with Wynn's high design standards. Cherry blossoms, kumquat trees bearing gold-colored fruit, and red lanterns also decorate the resort. The all-important holiday din- ing that accompanies Chinese New Year and family banquets that create a sense of togetherness are taken very seriously by Wynn Macau's dining establishments. Wing Lei is especially attentive to the dining traditions of Chinese New Year. "If the name of a dish sounds like the words for 'longevity,' 'wealth,' 'abundance,' 'good luck,' or 'prosperity,' it will defi- nitely be on the menu," says Tom Connolly, vice president of Food and Beverage for Wynn Macau.