The legend says "Nian" (pronounced Neen) who was a fierce monster, especially liked kidnapping children. He terrorized villages year after year. Finally, one year, a lion defeated and chased the monster away. “Nian” vowed to return next year. This time the villagers did not have a lion to protect themselves. So, they solved the problem by creating a costume likeness of a lion and two villagers used it to scare “Nian” away. This is the reason the lion dance is performed every Chinese New Year.
The legend also says that loud noises from the drum, other instruments, and firecrackers helped scare the “Nian” away. Red is worn during the New Years celebration because it was also believed that the “Nian“, was afraid of the colour red. The word "Nian," thought the yearly ceremony, has become the Chinese word for year.