If you know anything about Chinese New Year, you know that it's one of the biggest celebrations of the year, filled with tons of food, traditional music, parades, and of course, fireworks. A fifteen day-long celebration, Chinese New Year honors the first day on the lunar calendar, and begins on the new moon. This year celebrate this ancient cultural tradition with some fresh new ideas from Celebrations' part experts.
Before you start planning a Chinese New Year party of your own, get to know your history and traditions with Jessica Jinn, whose helpful guide to throwing a Traditional Chinese New Year Party, has all you need to know about celebrating the Lunar New Year. Learn how to play the Red Envelope Game, or how to put together a traditional Chinese menu, as well as other customs that make this holiday so unique.
The best part about holidays, is finding new ways to celebrate them. Mixing traditions with modern ideas can be a lot of fun, and is a great way to get friends involved, and liven things up for those who've celebrated for years. Julie Mulligan's ideas for a Stylish New Years Party offer a hip new way to celebrate the new moon whether you're new to the holiday or not. These Lettuce Wraps are fresh and festive, not mention delicious, and would make a perfect addition to any Chinese New Year menu. Crunchy, sweet and spicy, these wraps are as bold and flavorful as the holiday itself.
Red and gold are the traditional colors for Chinese New Year, symbolizing good luck and fortune, and have been known to occur in everything from the traditional New Year's dragons to the tiny envelopes given out to young children. When throwing a Chinese New Year party of your own be sure to include lots of these colors in your table and party decor, as well as your food selection. Feel free to have a little fun with the decorations, favors and foods you come up with—these Rice Crispy Dragons from Party Pinching may not ooze tradition, but they are a great way to get kids excited to learn about new and different cultural practices.
