How to Throw a Chinese New Year Party

Need an excuse to throw a party? Sunday, Feb 14 would be the perfect day to throw one. It is Valentine's Day, and it is also the first day of the Chinese New Year, year 4707 on the lunar calendar, the year of the Tiger. The holiday lasts about two weeks, with food playing a major role in the festivities. Here are some Chinese New Year party ideas for a get together with your friends and/or family.

Invitations
Send invitation cards if you prefer the traditional route, but Facebook is an excellent social networking tool to manage your party invitations.

Décorations
Red is the color of love. Red is also the color adored by the Chinese as it symbolizes good fortune and happiness. Your Chinese New Year party should be decorated with some red garland or red lanterns, which you can get at your local Chinatown or online (Orientaltrading or PlumParty). Add to your decor a fruit bowl of pomelos (like grapefruit, only bigger and which symbolize abundance and prosperity) and tangerines and oranges, which symbolize good luck and wealth, respectively.

Food and Beverages
During the New Year celebration, it is customary to have a tray of special treats to offer visiting relatives. Most of these auspicious treats have some meaning: dried melon seeds (symbolizing profuse earnings), sweetened lotus roots (symbolizing abundance), sweetened lotus seeds symbolizing fertility), melon candy, sweetened coconut slices and kumquat (symbolizing luck). These goodies are usually available at the Asian grocery stores several weeks before the new year.

Since the Chinese New Year is also on the same day as Valentine's Day, the ideal beverage to serve is Champagne or any sparkling wine. Prosecco is a good choice. To make it a little more festive, you can mix it with a splash of Cranberry juice, and garnish the drink with an orange twist. As for food, taking out from your favorite Chinese restaurant is not a bad idea. Don't forget the noodles (symbolizes longevity), and dumplings (pan fried or steamed, these yummy appetizers look like ancient Chinese gold ingots, so they symbolize wealth)!

Activities
You can have your guests learn to write some Chinese characters (abcteach.com has some good activities), or have them match the year they are born with the animal sign on the Chinese zodiac chart.

Gifts and Favors
Traditionally, on Chinese New Year, in lieu of gifts, kids received a red envelope with money in it. At your party, you can give a red envelope to each departing guest, but instead of money, you can put in a lottery ticket. Or you can buy decorated chopsticks to use at the party or as a party favor.

To health, wealth and happiness! Gong Xi Fa Cai (Happy New Year)!