You’re on your way to enjoying a fantastic Chinese New Year Party.
Chinese New Year
The Chinese New Year generally falls on the second new moon after the winter solstice.
It is celebrated throughout the country, mainly in Chinatown areas. Every year San Francisco
holds a Chinese New Year parade that features dragon and lion dances. Everyone celebrates
the holiday in their own way. Here are some tips for hosting your own Chinese New Year
party.
Pass the Red Envelope!
If you’re having a party at home, there are a few decorations and favors you will want to
make sure to have. It is tradition for red envelopes to be given to unmarried young adults and
children. The envelopes usually contain money that symbolizes good fortune for the new year.
In addition to the envelopes, other gifts are usually in the form of food, such as fruit, cakes, and chocolates.
Another decoration you
will want to have hanging is paper lanterns. They are the traditional color of red and usually
oval in shape. Another common decoration for the front of the house is chun lian which is a
type of colorful, Chinese calligraphy. Any other decorations should also be themed around the
color red, which is considered a lucky color.
Fun Ways to Celebrate the New Year
For those throwing a more extravagant party, you will want more extravagant entertainment
than for the simple family gathering. If you are going to participate in a parade or help
coordinate a parade, you will need people who can perform the traditional lion and dragon dances. Also, you may
want to have participants dress in traditional Chinese apparel, and in the parade you may need
some costumed characters.
It wouldn’t be a New Year celebration without fireworks! For a larger celebration,
you may want to hire a pyrotechnician to handle the firework spectacle. To make the fireworks even
more entertaining, you could time the show along with some live music.
Good Fortune for All
For any celebration, food is always a must have. Something that is special about Chinese
New Year dishes is that they all have a meaning. Most of them stand for something that wishes
good fortune for the New Year. Two of these particular dishes are “nian gao," a sticky rice
pudding, and “jiao zi," Chinese dumplings. One tradition is for the cook to hide a coin in one of
the dumplings; the one who finds the coin will have the most good fortune in the new year. If
you don’t want the stress of cooking a New Year’s feast, hire a caterer to do the hard work for you! That gives you time to
relax on the days of celebration instead of worrying about cooking. The Chinese New Year
celebration lasts 15 days, and there is usually a different food each day.
In addition to the food symbolizing luck and prosperity, the flowers that adorn the table and
house also have a special meaning. Hire a good florist to help you find plum blossoms, kumquats, or chrysanthemums which
symbolize luck, prosperity, and longevity, respectively.
If you’d rather leave this planning process to a professional, hire an event planner. This allows you to relax and
enjoy the holiday with your family and friends. We at Gig Salad wish you the best of luck and
prosperity in planning your party and in the New Year!
