Men's LifeStyle Blog

Wherever you come from, there are loads of fun ways you can celebrate Chinese New Year. Participating in traditions, putting up decorations, cooking a special meal and visiting parades and are all great ways to recognize the start of the new year. Read on for more detail on four fun ways to celebrate.

Put up decorations

Most Chinese New Year decorations involve the colors red and gold, as well as symbols which are considered lucky. You could make your own decorations or visit your local Chinatown to stock up. Red lanterns can be hung around your home, in front of doors, and outside on trees. They’re believed to drive away bad luck and are available in a variety of intricate designs.

Writing out couplets, a special type of Chinese poem, and putting them on display is another nice tradition which you could adopt. If you don’t want to write your own couplets, you can purchase decorations with the couplets ready printed and display on the walls of your home.

Paper cuttings are a fun option if you like to make your own decorations. Choose red paper and cut out lucky images, like peaches, pomegranates, peonies and pine trees. You could also cut out the shape of the animal which is associated with the new year - it’s different every year.

Hold a family dinner

Holding a feast and spending time with family is an important tradition during Chinese New Year, and the dinner is traditionally held on New Year’s Eve. Different foods are eaten in different parts of China, and many are considered to hold special symbolism due to their appearance or pronunciation.

For example, sweet rice balls are believed to promote family togetherness, while spring rolls symbolize wealth, and noodles are associated with happiness and longevity. Try to include a few lucky dishes in your meal.

If you don’t have time for the preparation and clean-up associated with hosting a family dinner, look for an authentic Chinese restaurant in your local area.

Give out red envelopes

Red envelopes containing money are traditionally given from adults to children or bosses to employees during the Chinese New Year celebrations. It’s easy to create your own red envelopes and use them to present small gifts to your friends and family. The envelopes can be decorated with gold designs, and this is a fun activity to do with children.

Visit a parade

There are several parades held throughout Chinese New Year. If you live near to a city, there’s a good chance you’ll be able to find one or more to attend, particularly if there’s a Chinatown. Most parades will involve dancers, performers, impressive costumes, dramatic fireworks and plenty of stalls selling food, clothing, and decorations.

At the end of the new year celebration period, a lantern festival is held. This involves releasing glowing paper lanterns into the sky or out onto a lake or river and is easy to take part in yourself. The festival marks the return of spring and is celebrated all over China.

Chinese New Year is a lot of fun to celebrate, no matter where in the world you are. Enjoy spending quality time with family and taking part in interesting traditions.