The winter’s lions return

A lion dance at Chinatown’s Pre-Lunar Flower Market last Saturday drew a crowd to Confucius Plaza. The heads of lettuce dangling from poles are designed to tease and tempt the lions. The Year of the Rat begins Thursday, with a firecracker ceremony. On Sunday, a parade and festival will celebrate the Lunar New Year, beginning at Mott and Hester Sts. at 1 p.m.