Should a dragon dance be performed at a Catholic church?

[H_Opey]

How do we discern if our customs and traditions go against our faith?

For example: At a Catholic church, a dragon dance was performed to scare off evil spirits at the reception celebrating Tet, the Vietnamese New Year.

Isn’t this a pagan ritual?

 

[Michelle_Arnold]

Although the original intent of the dance may have been to scare off evil spirits, I very much doubt that it was performed at the church you visited for that reason. My guess is that it was performed as a cultural exhibit in honor of the Vietnamese holiday. Since the event was held on the property of a Catholic church, though, to prevent scandal it would have been wise for the event organizers to make it clear to the audience that the dance was meant to exhibit a cultural artifact and not to promote superstition. For more information on the Catholic understanding of paganism and inculturation, please see the articles at the links below.

Recommended reading:

Is Catholicism Pagan?
The Antichrist at the Manger by T. L. Frazier
Smashing Pumpkins by Brian Paul