They
are used to collect monetary gifts for Buddhist religious purposes, by going
from home to home, a bit similar like the Chinese lion dances (fig.)
in which two people in a lion costume go from door to door to collect money,
which is often hidden inside a head of lettuce that is hung at the horizontal
beam over an entrance, which the lion then grabs with its mouth, after which the
person inside takes out the money and discards the lettuce on the floor.
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