Chinese New Year Party Ideas

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 GigSalad wish you the best of luck and prosperity in planning your party and in the New Year!