Tuesday, February 9, 2010

Start preparing for Chinese New Year!!

Hello girls! Here's some tips for you all for the perfect preparations for Chinese New Year!!

On the days before the New Year celebration Chinese families give their home a thorough cleaning. It is believed the cleaning sweeps away the bad luck of the preceding year and makes their homes ready for good luck. Brooms and dust pans are put away on the first day so that luck cannot be swept away.
Homes are often decorated with paper cutouts of Chinese auspicious phrases and couplets. Purchasing new clothing, shoes, and receiving a hair-cut also symbolize a fresh start.

The biggest event of any Chinese New Year's Eve is the dinner - consisting of fish.



On New Years Eve, it's customary to make dumplings. Chinese Dumplings look like silver ingots. Legend has it that the more dumplings you eat during New Year celebration, more money you can make in the New Year. (this I really agree with)!



Its also necessary to make a new year cake (Niangao) after dinner and send pieces of it as gifts to relatives and friends in the coming days of the new year. Niangao literally means increasingly prosperous year in year out.



Not many days left to make your preparations!!!! So get busy :-)

Images from here.


Patsy and I have been so busy sending out lanterns for everyone's parties. Here she is after the end of a hard day's work (sleeping on my handbag)!



Have a great week :-)

22 comments:

Marina Mott said...

The fod look good! But Patsy looks wonderful! She ie really cute!1

Hausfrau said...

I think we'll be traveling this weekend--otherwise, I think I would do a Chinese New Year celebration with plenty of dumplings--we love them!

posie blogs Jennie McClelland said...

Oh all so delicious!! I must say, i do a pretty neat dumpling. Before you know, you have eaten 10 & are a giant dumpling!! Love Posie

Anonymous said...

Oh how nice,the dumplings look good.Thanks for sharing!

Tracey said...

Patsy is looking after your money in your bag! xxx

Sonic said...

Patsy looks incredibly comfortable there on your handbag!

I like my Momma's handbags too, but usually I just poke my nose in there because there's sometimes snackies to be found.

Sonic

Kissed by an Angel said...

I'd better get cracking then!!! The food looks gorgeous!! Patsy looks a bit tired after all that work - does she need a holiday!!!
xxxx

Anonymous said...

I love Chinese New Year - always a great excuse for good wine and the kids like all the crafty activities at school :)

Deborah said...

That was interesting! A good way to start the New Year! Sorry I haven't been visiting too often. I have been very busy with my sister-in-law family.
Have a great week!
Your cake looks delicous!
Deborah

daisychain said...

this post is making me hungry!

Victoria Jin said...

I simply cannot wait to feast on my mom's dumplings! these all look so delicious. I'm getting very hungry indeed!

koralee said...

Everything looks so fun...I see all the red lanterns out in Chinatown...what a fun celebration! Enjoy!

beachvintage.com said...

Poor Patsy, she looks a little tired. Thanks for all the tips on the Chinese New Year.

Caitlin @ Candyfloss & Persie said...

Yum, yum, yummy! And Patsy is cute as always, she works very hard doesn't she? :)

Lorenza said...

Thanks for sharing the traditions of the Chinese New Year!
Very interesting!
My mom always makes me wear something new the first day of the year!
Patsy... you look so tired in that picture!
Have a good night!
Kisses and hugs
Lorenza

Marta said...

Ah all of Paris is decorated with chinese lamps now! I have loads of Chinese friends so I'm now familiar with Chinese new year, it's so cool and exotic!
xx

Rowan said...

the food looks amazing! nice blog!

pinkandpaisley.blogspot.com

Angel Gracie=^o.o^= said...

All the photos were so beautiful with the food and decorations. It is nice to learn about other traditions from other places.
Thanks for coming to my Super Bowl Party on Sunday. Hope you had a good time!

Olive said...

Yummy food, does Patsy get some?? What time should be over??? BOL!!!

Licks from me! Olive

TK said...

Thanks for dropping by at my blog and for following. I appreciate it so much.It's the CNY festive fever everywhere throughout the world!.Coincidently our blog posts are about the same topic! I don't really celebrate Chinese New Year but are always as excited as those celebrating it..I will surely eat more dumplings this time around:)

Henley on the Horn said...

Wow! That all looks delicious. Your dog is precious! she reminds me of ours:)

Baino said...

Chinese New Year celebrations start today and go through until 25th Feb. It's soggy in Sydney so next weekend we're heading into the city for the twilight parade, lion dancing and yep . . a little Yum Cha!