Coca-Cola Company Financial Results Analysis Essay Example for Free

Coca-Cola Company Financial Results Analysis Essay This paper will attempt to discuss the North American market for The Coca-Cola Company in the impact to volume growth or declines for the period, discuss the drivers of profitability during the quarter at The Coca-Cola Company and the likely long-term impact of these drives on profits, discuss the EPS results for the quarter in comparison to historic results and long-term growth targets, and discuss the emerging markets for The Coca-Cola Company and the likely future impact on earnings per share. Coca-Cola Company Financial Results Analysis Discuss the North American market for The Coca-Cola Company in the impact to volume growth or declines for the period The North American market for The Coca-Cola Company is growing positively. Increasing mobility of the company and continuing a positive image for emerging new middle class clients is fueling Coca-Cola into claiming the title of number one beverage producer in North America. Providing that outside factors do not put a slump on the economy, strategic focus of building a strong brand, creating a positive value for the products, and keeping with sound investment practices will ensure the continuing growth of The Coca-Cola Company. For the first quarter of 2012, the North American market for The Coca-Cola Company impact on volume was positive. First quarter reported that the North America Group’s volume grew 2% in the quarter. (Muhtar Kent, 2012) The net revenues increased by 5% with â€Å"as reported† volume growth of 1%. (Muhtar Kent, 2012) The volume growth reflected the effect of having one less day for the quarter in the current year. There was also a positive price/ mix of 3% and a 1% benefit due to the structural change in relation to the acquisition of Greayt Plains Coca-Cola Bottling Company. (Muhtar Kent, 2012) Sparkling beverage volume, drinks with carbonation, grew by 1% for the quarter and still beverage volume grew by 6%. (Muhtar Kent, 2012) There was a reported decline in operating income in the first quarter. (Muhtar Kent, 2012) Due to the cycling of lower commodity costs in prior periods as well as having one less day for sales in the current year quarter, comparable currency nuetral operating income declined 9% in the quarter. (Muhtar Kent, 2012) This decline may be linked to current year timing in comparison to the prior year, which was comtemplated in The Coca-Cola Company’s internal planning process. (Muhtar Kent, 2012) Discuss the drivers of profitability during the quarter at The Coca-Cola Company and the likely long-term impact of these drives on profits. The drivers for profitability came from strong brand programming, positive pricing of products and overall structure change. Smart investing is also another driver of profitability. The advertisement seen at events and on television programming has helped push The Coca-Cola Company’s products into the view of the consumers. The planning processes have positioned The Coca-Cola Company into staying conservative with its investments and watch the market fluctuations as to creating long term investment growth possibilities. (Muhtar Kent, 2012) Things on the radar for The Coca-Cola Company include watching the employment rate in the countries where they are located and the economic environment globally, in relation to if the markets are improving or declining. (Muhtar Kent, 2012) Keeping brands and investments healthy and positive are the main drivers that will impact the long term profitability of this company. Discuss the Earnings per Share results for the quarter in comparison to historic results and long-term growth targets. The earnings per share reported for the first quarter was $0.89. (Muhtar Kent, 2012) In comparison to April 30, 2011, the diluted net income per share was up by 9%, up from $0.82. (Muhtar Kent, 2012) The Coca-Cola Company launched a new program that was to starting the first quarter of 2012 and ending in 2015 called the â€Å"Productivity and Reinvestment program†. (The Coca-Cola Company Reports Full-Year and Fourth Quarter 2011 Results, 2012) This program ihas been set to provide an incremental yearly savings of $550 to $650 million. (The Coca-Cola Company Reports Full-Year and Fourth Quarter 2011 Results, 2012) This goal is fueled by the more than $500 million annualied savings from the previous productivity program launched in 2009 and ending in 2011. (The Coca-Cola Company Reports Full-Year and Fourth Quarter 2011 Results, 2012) The Company’s 2020 goal of designing and implementing the most effective and efficient business system is well on its way towards becoming a reality. Discuss the emerging markets for The Coca-Cola Company and the likely future impact on earnings per share Volume growth for newer markets in China, Japan, and Thailand are on the forefront of The Coca-Cola Company’s main list of places to increase their product presence and strengthen their brand. Having a good price mix of investments and watching the economic status of these countries will help the Company to make sound investment strategies and increase their earnings per share in these regions. China will be an important player in the growth of business for The Coca-Cola Company. This is one of the fastest and largest markets to gain control of and strong marketing practices, along with bringing new jobs to this powerhouse economy will only increase the likelyhood of achieving a positive earnings per share return. In Japan, expanding the current market of items like coffee, sparkling beverages, and teas would help to increase sales in this country. Keeping the brand present as this country tries to recover from a natural disaster in 2011 will help to ease The Coca-Cola Company’s presence back into the line of things for the consumers in this market. Working closely with bottling groups and keeping good ties are helping to spur coke in a positive direction as Japan attempts to recover from the prior year’s decline due to natural disasters. The Coca-Cola Company’s outlook remains positive as it attempts to keep moving forward in the market of beverages. The Company’s long term goals of increasing its efficiency in branding, increasing its productivity, creating new jobs globally, and working on restructuring the company is helping to keep the Company as a top contender in the beverages category and will help maximize its efforts to increase profits for itself and the shareholders.

Bobby Flay and Paula Deen Essay Example for Free

Bobby Flay and Paula Deen Essay Bobby Flay and Paula Deen are both exceptional and popular experts in cooking arena particularly in the US. It is curious that though they excel in the same field of Southern Cooking they are distinctly different in style, approach and background. While Flay is more methodical and academic in nature, Deen is more self-taught dependent more on household common sense and imagination. Robert William Flay was born in New York (1964) and is regarded as one of the most celebrated chef who is also a television personality and a restaurateur. At present, he is the executive chef and owner of restaurants all over US. These are Atlantic City’s Bobby Flay Steak, New York’s Mesa Grill and Bar, Las Vegas Mesa Grill and Bahamas Mesa Grill. (Lamb, 2007) As a television personality, he has pulled off eight programs as a host with elan (Grill It! with Bobby Flay, Throwdown! with Bobby Flay, BBQ with Bobby Flay, Boy Meets Grill, FoodNation, Grillin Chillin and Hot Off the Grill with Bobby Flay). He has authored several cookbooks like Bobby Flays Grill It! , Bobby Flays Mesa Grill Cookbook, Bobby Flays Grilling For Life, Bobby Flays Boy Gets Grill to name a few. Flay has won a number of awards like James Beard Foundations Who’s Who of Food Beverage in America in 2007, Emmy Award nominee for Outstanding Service Show Hot Off the Grill with Bobby Flay in 2000 and French Culinary Institute Outstanding Graduate Award in 1993. (Lamb, 2007) Bobby Flay’s specialty in cooking is based on styles related to Southwest, Mexican and Spanish mode. He acquired a cooking degree from French Culinary Institute. On the other hand, Paula Deen (1947) is regarded as one of the most recognized cooks in US. She is also an Emmy Award-winning television personality and a restaurateur. Her restaurant is located at Savannah, Georgia by the name The Lady Sons. She is also credited with five cooking related books along with her numerous television appearances. (Lamb, 2007) She specializes as a Southern cook and her cooking style is dependent on day-to-day common ingredients like creamed corn, beans, greens, cheesy meatloaf, fried chicken, fried twinkies, cheese, macaroni and sweet potatoes. Her hoecakes and garlic cheese biscuit are of special mention of her culinary. (Lamb, 2007) However, it should be mentioned that lacks any formal cooking degree unlike Flay. She is a self-taught cook who has used her senses and imagination to success. It should be stated that both Flay and Deen are exceptional artists with food but their approach is distinctly different. Flay’s academic background makes his cooking more classical and methodical in nature. On the other hand, Deen’s lack of institutionalized learning process made her more open to common American household ingredients and recipes. Though both are popular and successful it can be stated in the conclusion that Flay is predominantly a chef and Deen is a cook as a bottom-line.

Organising a safe environment for young children

Organising a safe environment for young children Planning a safe environment is a challenging process for early year’s practitioners. Child safety and protection is a key element in their development in early year setting. Planning of early year play setting every day is challenging and difficult process. Play environment should be a minimal risk and no danger for children. Arranging safe and friendly environment have to consider all the time for children to achieve maximum learning from each activity setup in the setting. A child safe environment is including range of health and safety policies. Under OFSTED regulation early year setting need to know arrange challenging stimulate environment for all children. Practicing and applying health and safety regulations is an vital procedure for all the staff in the setting. Basic information about creating a child safe environment: Check the fire exits before children enter the setting Leave a space around table for children to move free Staff interact with child easily Having comfortable and safe corner in the setting for children can sit or lie down Messy activity table are arrange for near washbasins and on suitable flooring Radiators and light should be kept clear to avoid fore hazard Free standing furniture must completely close Enough space for around physical activities The setting layout should help child interest Equipment and toys need to accessible for children. A risk assessment procedure is help to identify risks in the setting. The deputy leader in the setting has to check and take the responsibility in regarding the risk assessment procedure in the setting. Checking hazard is important in the premises every day. Outdoor environment will help for children in the early years by: †¢ To get Fresh air, contact with nature and learn about weather seasons. †¢ Opportunities for learning about growing plants and gardening. †¢ Opportunities for wider range of physical activities in outdoor. The outdoor environment is an essential part of high quality provision for babies and toddlers in the early age. Effective outdoor activity supports of delivery all development in the Early Years. These all challenging environment effect children personal, social, emotional and physical development in safe setting. In the earl year setting, the staff ratio is very important when considering the child safety. Correct staff ratios can minimize accidents and injuries in the setting and outdoor activities. Precise staff ratios for the settings are: 1:3 children under 2 years 1:4 children aged 2 years 1:8 children aged 3-5 years Explain the role of the practitioner within a wider, multi-agency environment. The point of wider and multi-agency environment is: Multi-agency working provides benefits for children, young people and families because they receive tailor-made support in the most efficient way. It helps in early identification of any issues and intervention and easier or quicker access to services or expertise. Children and parents are addressed more appropriately and better quality services provided for longer-term or more specialist services. Also, this includes working parents, parents who speak English as an additional language, and parents who do not live in the family at home with their children. Practitioners in early year setting need to respect which families working with them and how to support their child early year learning journey and development. Working with multi-agency environment the practitioners needed to understand that the home learning environment for each children in the setting. It is a way of working with the small children and those supportive experiences for parent and the children. Early year children settings are diversity and combination of many different cultures. Practitioners in early year setting responsible for creating environments that are culturally rich and respectful of the diversity include all the children. From foundation stage children need to develop an understanding about the world. Multi-agency working can take place at many levels and its effectiveness will depend on how well it is integrated. Children’s centres and pre-schools provide multi-disciplinary teams on one site as well as working closely with external agencies. Every setting is unique and the nature of the multi-agency working will vary accordingly. The achievement of effective multi-agency working has proved more difficult to achieve than was anticipated. In order to create a climate of change where professionals and agencies can work effectively together it need to understand what the barriers to change are. Some of the barriers to achieving more effective multi-agency working that have been identified are: professionalism; conflicting priorities of different agencies; dealing with risk; the need to change the culture of organisations. Working in multi-agency environment and key workers are together to provide supporting childrens individual needs. The wider community plays are include vital role play. Practitioners need to work together across services for example working in partnership with health visitors, general practitioners, social workers, nursery nurses, speech and language therapist can get information and ideas about early year child development step by step in childcare setting. Children and their families need to communicate well and need to listen carefully to all concerned about child each and every day. Setting practitioners need to reach children ideas first, to reach children individual needs. The regulatory requirements that underpin the organisation of the environment. Enabling environment and regulatory requirements; Risk; Hazard; Risk Assessment; Risk assessment is important for any setting because it: †¢ makes sure the setting is safe for children, staff and parents †¢ is an Early Years Foundation Stage Welfare requirement †¢ is good practice. What is a risk assessment? A risk assessment is: †¢ identifying a hazard which might cause harm †¢ making sure that the risk attached to it is acceptable †¢ putting appropriate control measures in place if the risk is not acceptable. Making the risk assessments on a regular basis for equipment, activities, policies and procedures should take into account the numbers, ages and abilities of children and resources, planning, staff and space. They need to be evaluated and reviewed regularly. Following the risk assessment procedure, practitioners should check that is nothing damaged on equipment, toilets and all areas used by children are clean on a daily basis. Setting leader should arrange enough staff to meet the needs of the children and the activities planned and that there are no changes which could cause a danger this is particularly important in shared premises. This can be done by using a chart on the wall which can be initialled when an area is checked. The table below is an example method of risk assessment which can be used. When it use designated person or manager should date the each time they review it. The premises and outside play areas should be secure and children should not be able to leave them unsupervised. The designated person or manager should have an effective system for managing access to and exit from the premises, ensure that this system is used and keep a record of visitors. Floor and staircase finishes should be close fitting, resilient, non-slip and readily cleanable. Rugs or mats should not be used where they may present trip hazards. Holes and tears in the floor covering should be repaired promptly and effectively. All floors should be kept free from obstructions. All equipment and machinery used in a pre-school service should be safe for use and subject to regular service and maintenance by a competent person. All chemicals should be kept in their correct labelled containers and securely stored and used in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions. Outdoor play areas should be checked each time they are used. The outdoor play area should be secured and safely fenced off to ensure that children cannot leave this area without adult supervision and that unauthorised access is prevented. Evaluate how effective the environment is in meeting childrens individual needs How early years practitioners Can Create Effective Learning Environments; An early childhood environment is many things. It is a safe place where children are protected from the elements and are easily supervised. Also, important activities of the day like playing, eating, sleeping, washing hands, and going to the bathroom take place. Beyond the basics, however, an environment for young children implements and supports a programmes philosophy and curriculum. The modules of an early learning environment are many and can be overwhelming for the children. Early year practitioners need to know how to create an environment and that how to supports learning and meets children s individual needs? Environments for young children should provide multiple sources of stimulation to encourage the development of physical, cognitive, emotional, and social skills. Early childhood importance of play should be including, hands-on-learning and whole child development. A good early childhood environment supports these activities for child development, well-organize play area, large block area, sand and water activities, art and craft areas, reading corner and outdoor play area. These space need to arrange in a way that children can make noise while playing without disturbing for children in other activities. Environments should be carefully designed and equipped for children to meet their individual needs. Activities must be physical challenges, learning disabilities, or emotional issues in the setting. Other reflects the importance of early year children by including examples of their work in progress and displaying images of children. Every child in the setting has an image of themselves and their family. Important part of development is feeling in all children, so it is important to displays of pictures of all parents and families, and every race and ethnicity, including interracial, multi-ethnic, and adoptive families. The entire setting should also reflect diversity throughout the world. Throughout the setting artwork, photos, posters, and signs on the wall; books; dolls; parent boards, newsletters, announcements, and magazines; materials such as puzzles, people sets, activity books, music, art materials, and play area include all children individual needs. In order to meet children’s diverse needs, and help all children make the best possible progress, practitioners should: à ¢-   Plan opportunities that build on and extend children’s knowledge, experiences, interests and skills and develop their self-esteem and confidence in their ability to learn; à ¢-   Use a wide range of teaching strategies, based on children’s learning needs; à ¢-   provide a wide range of opportunities to motivate, support and develop children and help them to be involved, concentrate and learn effectively; à ¢-   provide a safe and supportive learning environment, free from harassment, in which the contribution of all children is valued and where racial, religious, disability and gender stereotypes are challenged; à ¢-   Plan challenging opportunities for children whose ability and understanding are in advance of their language and communication skills; à ¢-   monitor children’s progress, identifying any areas of concern, and taking action to provide support, for example by using different approaches, additional adult help. An early childhood environment is many things to do. Its a safe place where children are protected from the elements and are easily supervised, and its where the important activities of the day take place, such as playing, eating, sleeping, washing hands, and going to the bathroom. Beyond the basics, however, an environment for young children implements and supports programs of early childhood development. Environments for young children should provide multiple sources of stimulation to encourage the development of physical, cognitive, emotional, and social skills. When planning the environment, following steps is impotent to be considered: Places for developmentally appropriate physical activities. Opportunities for concrete, hands-on activities. Change and variety. Colour and decorations. Soft, responsive environments. Flexible materials and equipment. Obstacles to consider when planning the learning environment: Storage. Activity area access. Noise. Dividers. Reference: Devon Early Years and Childcare Service, Available from www.devon.gov.uk/risk_assssment_guidance.pdf. Accessed : 28th February 2015,

The Dandelion :: essays research papers fc

The Dandelion, of the genus Taraxacum and the class Magnoliopsida is a close relative of the Sunflower. The name, Dandelion comes from the French phrase for  ¡Ã‚ ¥Teeth of Lion ¡Ã‚ ¦, dent de lion, due to the likeness of the shape of the plant ¡Ã‚ ¦s leaves and a lion ¡Ã‚ ¦s canine teeth, whilst its generic name, Taraxacum Officinale was influenced by the plant ¡Ã‚ ¦s many medical properties. Taraxacum meaning  ¡Ã‚ ¥disorder-remedy ¡Ã‚ ¦ and Officinale, stating that the plant has medicinal attributes. Other popular names for this plant include swine snout, priest ¡Ã‚ ¦s crown and pissabed. Framed by shiny, hairless, jagged leaves, the bare, hollow, magenta-tinted stems (that hold up the flower heads) carry bright yellow caps of countless tiny tie-shaped golden petals, which after fertilization, mature into white fluffy balls containing seeds. The leaves that rise from the tap root are naturally positioned for rain to slide straight into it, thus keeping itself well fed. This  ¡Ã‚ §common meadow herb ¡Ã‚ ¨ originated from Greece and was introduced to  ¡Ã‚ §all parts of the north temperate zones ¡Ã‚ ¨ . Now they are so abundant that they crowd and strangle fields almost all over the world, and have made a name for itself as the  ¡Ã‚ §King of Weeds ¡Ã‚ ¨. The Dandelion, surprisingly, has a large number of uses, both nutritional and medicinal. Back in the olden days and even now, the entire plant was utilized. Wine was extracted from the flowers; the leaves were used as vegetables, while the stems and roots were mainly used as medicine. Nowadays in Western medicine, this herb is hardly mentioned but usage of it for culinary purposes is still blooming, especially in European countries such as France. Nutrition-wise, the Dandelion caters to both the animal kingdom and humans. They provide pollen and nectar for bees throughout spring and even until late autumn, when the bees ¡Ã‚ ¦ usual sources of honey stop blooming. This lessens the time in which the bees ¡Ã‚ ¦ require artificial food, thus benefiting beekeepers. Dandelions ¡Ã‚ ¦ do not only attract bees, but research has confirmed that over 93 types of insects rely on its nectar, whilst animals, such as small birds, pigs, goats and rabbits devour it avariciously. The leaves can be torn to bits and used as filling of sandwiches; they are also used to create Herb beer that, compared to normal beer, is much cheaper and less likely to make a person drunk. The wine strengthens and invigorates, being a tonic, improving blood circulation. The taproot, after being dried, chopped, roasted and grounded into fine powder has been discovered to be an  ¡Ã‚ §almost indistinguishable ¡Ã‚ ¨1 substitute for real coffee.

Rosenbergs Use of Words to Communicate Themes in his Poem :: The Wasps Nest Poetry Poems Essays

Rosenberg's Use of Words to Communicate Themes in his Poem The Wasp’s Nest Conceptualize a world full of people that isolate and alienate you-a place where you don’t count or make a difference. This is one of the major concerns in the Wasp’s Nest. Rosenberg appeals to our intellect utilizing technical literary ingredients to spice up and flavour the poem. My project is an analysis of his use of words and phrases to communicate themes in his poem and to see how the poem has been made memorable. To me, the poem on its own is a metaphor portraying life and its elements of uncertainty and others. In line 1’’ Two aerial tigers†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢Ã¢â‚¬â„¢, the wasps are being referred to as ‘’aerial tigers’’ because they do all their activities in the air (aerial). They are referred to as ‘’tigers’ for two reasons. The main one being that they are ragingly ferocious and much undomesticated. The second one is describes their physical outward appearance as they are yellow with black stripes just like the tiger. The use of language here is very descriptive and this line being a metaphor aids the picture to be conceived on the mental canvas. Line 1 is memorable because it is quite unique the way one can find such descriptive to perfectly describe the scenario. â€Å"Striped in ebony and gold†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢Ã¢â‚¬â„¢. The use of sophisticated and exclusive adjectives which are (‘ebony’ and ‘gold’) to illustrate the wasp’s appearance shows how fascinated and beguiled Rosenberg is by the wasps. This line contributes to the memorability of the poem. This is through the adoption of classy words to leave the words echoing in our minds and it is savoured and relished by the reader. Line 3-5 describes the state in which the wasps are in and how they went about their preparation of their home. Here, we assume that the two wasps are of the opposite sex thus, probably married or are living their lives together. Therefore, another rational assumption is that these two wasps are building a home, an investment that they can share together and reside within. These lines are made memorable because they unfailingly apply and relate to our daily lives. Line 7-9 depicts how worthless and valueless this ‘’huge’’ investment is to Rosenberg or the persona and then again, I find these lines ringing in my head because it is indeed an example of life’s bad sides- when one takes their time to put something together and he worships it with every fibre of his being but before others, it is insignificant. Line 10-14, is about how the persona has endeavored and made an attempt to exonerate and get rid of the wasps.

Mary Shelleys Frankenstein Essays -- Frankenstein Essays

Mary Shelley's Frankenstein The creature of the novel Frankenstein is intelligent, naà ¯ve, powerful and frightening. He seeks vengeance, kills three people, and haunts his creator to the end of his (Frankenstein’s) days. Why? What inspired and what enraged the creature so much so that he felt this was the only path to pursue? When we first meet the creature (truly meet him, that is), he shows his intelligence through speech. One must certainly expect him to be a drooling, dumb and violent creature, but he is, in fact, quite the opposite. He is violent, yes, but he does not show his violent physical side unless provoked to anger. More often than not the creature is full of self pity, cursing his existence and his creator for bringing him into it. When the creature and Frankenstein speak to each other (though the creature is doing most of the speaking), the creature does so fairly calmly, and relays his side of the story -- where he had been, what he had done and, most importantly, what he had read. When taking a close look at the creature’s behavior and story, it is impossible to ignore the fact that the two works that seemed to have the greatest affect on him were Paradise Lost and the notes that he had found in his pocket concerning his own creation. Though each work that the creature read is important in one way or another, these two were the works that helped to shape his personality and change how he felt about himself and his plight. Perhaps the most interesting thing about the creature’s reaction to Paradise Lost is that he identified not with Adam, but with Lucifer. This explains quite a bit about the creature and a bit about why he acts the way he does throughout the novel. The creature himself even... ...o an eternity of tempting souls away from the Creator, and to live in Hell. The creature lives in his own Hell each day, and does not necessarily tempt, though he does indeed taunt Frankenstein. Is this justice? A person could argue either way in that respect. To a degree, yes, it is justice. The creature committed terrible acts, to be sure, but he did not ask to be brought into the world, nor to be abandoned. To a degree, the creature’s hatred and need for revenge rather help him in his life. He is never naà ¯ve enough to trust people again, for one thing, and it pushes him to superhuman speed and constitution, things he probably would not have if he had been accepted. Though, is the emotional trade-off worth it? Perhaps not. In the end, the creature loses any redeeming qualities he may have and becomes far more wretched than he had been in the beginning of his life.

Chinese Lion Dance

Chinese Lion Dance The lion dance is a traditional dance performed in the Chinese culture. The performers mimic the moves of the lion inside a costume that looks in a way like a lion. Many people who are not very familiar with the Lion Dance often gets it confused with the Dragon Dance, since both are performed, for the most part, for the same occasions. It is simple to tell the two dances apart. The Lion Dance is performed most of the time with only two people. The Dragon Dance is performed with many people.In the Dragon Dance multiple people are inside the dragon costume holding up poles, whereas in the Lion Dance, there is someone holding the head of the lion and another person in the back of the lion costume acting as a rear of the lion. Lions were not originally from China. They came there through what was called the Silk Road. The rulers in what is today known as Iran and Afghanistan sent the lions over to the Chinese emperors as a gift in exchange to get the right to trade wit h the Silk Road merchants. This form of Lion Dance dates all the way back to the Han Dynasty, which was from 205 B.C. E. to 220 C. E. in China. The peak of the Lion Dance was during the Tang Dynasty, which was from 716 to 907 C. E. It was mainly danced during religious festivals to celebrate. The dance eventually became so famous that it was exported to Japan as a formal court entertainment. The Lion Dance soon made its way to Korea and Taiwan. The Lion Dance is not exactly the same in all the countries, but the meaning and symbol of the dance are similar. There are many different stories of how the Lion Dance got its origins. One famous story is called â€Å"The Emperor’s Dream. This story states how the emperor of the Tang Dynasty had a dream about how a strange creature came to his rescue. When he described his dream to some advisors, they told him that the creature he described resembled that of a lion, a creature from the Western Hemisphere. The emperor then created the lion dance to honor the creature which saved his life inside of his dream. Another story of how the Lion Dance got its origins is called â€Å"The Story of the ‘Nian’. † Legends say that there was a fierce monster by the name of â€Å"Nian† that liked to kidnap children.He attacked villages every year until one year, a lion defeated the â€Å"Nian† and chased it away. The monster promised that it will be back to seek revenge. This time the villagers did not have a lion to protect themselves. As a result, they solved the problem by creating a costume like that of a lion and two villagers wore the costume to scare â€Å"Nian† away. This is the reason the lion dance is performed every Chinese New Year, so that â€Å"Nian† would not come back. The legend also says that loud noises from the drum, other instruments, and firecrackers helped scare the â€Å"Nian† away.The color red is worn during the New Year’s celebration becau se it was also believed that the â€Å"Nianâ€Å", was afraid of the color red. The word â€Å"Nian,† thought the yearly ceremony, has become the Chinese word for year. There are two different styles of the Chinese Lion Dance, the Southern Style and the Northern Style. The older and traditional form of Chinese Lion Dance is the Southern Style. The Chinese Southern Lion Dance originated from Guangdong, a providence of China. The costumes of Lion Dance vary widely, but the lion head designs shows much differences.The traditional Fo Shan Lion, has bristles instead of fur and weighs more than the current costumes. The tails are extremely long and are perpendicular to the head for three fourths of the tail's length. The eyes also move left and right. On the back of the costume, there are gold foiled rims and traditional characters saying the group’s name. Older Liu Bei lions also have black in the tail, while the new ones do not. The Gwan Gung has a red and black tail wit h white trim. The Huang Joon has a full yellow tail with white trim. The Zhang Fei has a black and white tail with white trim and a white underside.The Zhao Zi Long lion is a green lion with a green tail with black trim and also a white underside. All the traditional style Fo Shan have pop-up teeth, tongue, swivelling eyes, and a gold gilded area on the back for the school's name and also the underside of the tail is white. The designs of the tail are also squarer and contain a diamond pattern going down the back; it is also common to see and hear bells attached to the tail. Although most lion dance costumes comes with a set of matching pants, some practitioners use black Kung-Fu pants to look more traditional. The Wong people perform the lion dance using this type of lion.The newer styles of lions for Fo Shan replace all the bristles with fur and the tails are shorter than the traditional ones. They eyes are fixed in place, and the tongue and teeth do not pop up. The tail is curvie r in design. The tail does not have a diamond pattern, and lacks bells. In addition, the dancers wear flashier pants which lack the ease of movement allowed when wearing Kung-Fu pants. The Chinese Northern Style of Chinese Lion Dance is performed usually with two lions. The lions of the North have shaggy orange and yellow hair. The way to tell these lions apart by gender is to see the bow on the head.The females don a green bow while the male lions wear a red bow. Acrobatics are very common with the Northern Style, with stunts like lifts or balancing on a giant ball. Northern lions sometimes appear as a family, with two large â€Å"adult† lions and a pair of small â€Å"young lions†. Different colors on the costumes of the lions represent the different elements of life. The yellow represents earth, black represents water, green represents wood, red represents fire, and white represents metal. The nose of the lions is usually a green color. Green symbolizes good luck, p rosperity, and the â€Å"influence of heaven. Attached to the forehead of the lion is a mirror. The mirror is said to scare away evil spirits by reflecting their own image against them, and also the ability to travel between heaven and earth. The costumes of the lions used for Chinese Lion Dance can only be custom made in specialty craft shops in rural parts of China and have to be imported at considerable expense for foreign countries outside Asia. For groups in Western countries, such as the United States, is made possible through funds raised through subscriptions and pledges made by members of local cultural and business societies.Special hand-made costumes with different add-ons can run up to 2000 dollars on some websites. Some countries, like Malaysia for example, has a really big Chinese population. As a result, local expertise may be available in making the lion costumes and musical instruments without having to get them imported from China. The head of the lion contains a symbol of many different animals itself. The horn is shaped like a bird for the phoenix, symbol for life and regeneration, also associated with representing the female element.The ears and the tail are shaped like a mystical creature, the Chinese unicorn, representing wisdom and good luck. The spine represents the snake, charm and wealth. The back hump of the head represents the tortoise which is the symbol for living a long life. The forehead and the beard are from the dragon, strength, leadership and the male element. The music associated to the Lion Dance is with instruments used live, right next to the performers. The music of drums, cymbals, and gongs are heard and the dance is synchronized with the beat of the song.There are also firecrackers, which is used to add on to the sounds as well. During Chinese New Year, different groups from different Chinese martial art schools visit the house and businesses of the Chinese community to perform what is called â€Å"cai ching. † The word â€Å"cai ching† translates to â€Å"plucking the greens. † What this is, is when a lion goes on a quest or journey to pluck the green, normally vegetables, like lettuce which in Chinese called â€Å"cai† and fruits like oranges tied to a â€Å"Red Envelope† containing money; either hang highly or just put on a table in front of the premises.The lion will dance to approach the â€Å"cai† and red envelope in a manner of that of a curious cat. It will then get the vegetable and red envelope. After, the cat will â€Å"eat the vegetable† (rip it up and throw it back out), and keep the red envelope containing money for their group. The lion dance is said to bring good luck and fortune to the businesses. Not only is the dance only done during Chinese New Year, but also in other religious festivals, business openings, birthday celebrations, and wedding celebrations.In the old days, the lettuce was hung 15 to 20 feet above ground and onl y a well-trained martial artist could reach the money while dancing with a heavy lion head. These events became challenging so a very large sum of money was rewarded, and the audience expected a good show. Sometimes, if lions from multiple martial arts schools approached the lettuce at the same time, the lions are supposed to â€Å"fight† to decide a winner. The lions had to fight with lion moves instead of chaotic street fighting styles. The audience would judge the quality of the martial art schools according to how the lions fought.Since the schools' reputation was at stake, the fights were usually fierce but civilized. The winner lion would then use creative methods and martial art skills to reach the high-hanging reward. Some lions may dance on bamboo stilts and some may step on human pyramids formed by students of the school to reach the â€Å"cai ching. † The performers and the schools would gain praise and respect on top of the large money reward when they did well. During the 1950’s to 1960’s, areas with many Chinese communities, such as Chinatown, had people who resembled that of a gangster who joined these Chinese Lion Dance groups.There were lots of fights between these Lion Dance groups and kung fu schools. This worried many parents, which caused the parents to avoid letting their children join these schools. During festivals and performances, when Lion Dance groups met up, there would be fights between the groups. Some lifts and acrobatic tricks are designed for the lion to â€Å"fight† and knock over other rival lions. Performers even hid daggers in their shoes and clothes, which could be used to injure other lion dancers’ legs.Some even attached a metal horn on their lion’s forehead, which could be used to slash other lion heads. The violence got so extreme that at one point that the Hong Kong government had to put a stop to lion dance completely. Now Lion Dance groups must attain a permit from t he government in order to perform the Lion Dance. Although there is still a certain degree of competitiveness, the groups are a lot less violent and aggressive than they were in the 1950’s to 1960’s. In modern day, the Chinese Lion Dance is seen as a sport and is more of something to do during free time.