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Ring in the 2008 Chinese New Year
A Chinese New Year party is one of the most colorful parties you could ever host. Great decorations, delicious food and fun activities guarantee that you will want to repeat this party every year!
Chinese New Year Invitations
If delivering your own invitations is an option, why not put the invitation on a Chinese take out food container? Party 411.com's Creations For You can design your very own Chinese food container invitation with the party information right on it. Fill the container with fortune cookies for an extra treat. Or put an actual invitation in a Chinese food container box and include Chinese confetti. Regardless of the type of invitation you decide on, your guests will be thrilled to be invited to your party.
Here’s an invitation idea that will really make your guests do a double take! This year, 2008, is the Year of the Rat so why not send an invitation in the shape of a rat? While it’s not the cutest of all animals, it will make an incredibly unique invitation. Your quests will be talking about your party long before it ever starts. Look for rat cutouts at local craft stores or design them on your computer.
Red is the color for the Chinese New Year. It’s vivid and happy and tradition says that it brings the wearer a bright and sunny future. Suggest that all your guests wear red to your party – everyone will be glowing from the minute it starts!
Chinese New Year Decorations
Wish everyone a Happy New Year with personalized Chinese New Year Banner hanging over your front door. It could even say “Kung Hei Fat Choy,” Happy New Year in Cantonese. Make it extra special and include a photo of you, or a guest of honor, on it.
Set the tone of the party with two wire pagodas on either side of the at the entrance to the party room. There are so many wonderful wall decorations that can be used to - pick one or several. A Chinese character mural, Chinese New Year fan or great looking Chinese cultural cutouts will give your party an authentic feel.
Whatever you place on the walls, hanging paper lanterns are a must! Lanterns are festive and elegant and there are several styles available. Choose from vibrant solid color Chinese lanterns, funky shaped natural wood tone lanterns or red and gold traditional Chinese lanterns.
Tableware and Centerpieces
Red is the color for the Chinese New Year and the perfect one for your tables. Use gold and black as accent colors. Start with red metallic Chinese themes table skirts fringed with Chinatown symbols on them. Choose red, black and gold paper goods for the tables. For napkins, choose Asian theme napkins in red, gold and black to match the rest of the table.
The hardest part about the centerpieces for a Chinese New Year Party is deciding on the one you like best. Balloons are a fun and economical way to decorate. Richly colored metallic balloons with Chinese character balloons mixed in are great on any table.
If you want a more elegant look, use Shanghai Moon Centerpieces with flickering tea lights in them. Chinese fortune centerpieces are a lovely way to share New Years’ wishes of peace, eternity and beauty with your guests. Surround these with Asian elegance votive candles
Flowers always look fabulous on a table and vases of flowers are often used as centerpieces for Chinese New Year’s celebrations. Peonies, azaleas, narcissus, water lilies or any type of beautiful blossom are a wonderful decorating addition.
Food
The Chinese New Year is all about lots of food and family. If you like to cook, make chicken, fish and noodle dishes. There is meaning behind every food – noodles for longevity, lettuce for prosperity, oranges and tangerines for abundant happiness. Consult a Chinese cookbook to find out the meaning of more foods.
In case you don’t want to spend your time cooking, call a local Chinese restaurant. No matter what you choose, be sure to order a lot since everyone will gobble it up. Needless to say dessert will have to be fortune cookies. Even though they were invented in California, fortune cookies are a favorite with everyone. You can purchase them at a store but why not surprise your guests with custom created fortune cookies from Party411.com. Contact Party411.com directly to create these delicious treats. Imagine the laughter as when everyone learns about the future (courtesy of you).
Chinese New Year Activities
It’s tradition to write positive words such as health, prosperity or good luck on red paper scrolls and place them around the room. Provide supplies for your guests to write their own messages as they enter the party. It’s another fun and easy way to decorate the room. In the Chinese tradition, there is an animal with distinctive characteristics that corresponds to every year for the last 100 years. People born in 2008, the Year of the Rat, are charming, passionate and hardworking. Celebrities such as Gwyneth Paltrow, Ben Affleck and William Shakespeare were all born under the Year of the Rat.
Make a list of the 12 signs of the zodiac and the qualities that go with each one and have everyone guess which sign he/she falls under. Or better yet, pair everyone up and let him/her decide what category is the best one. Laughter will fill the room as everyone tries to figure it out.
The Lantern Festival is always held on the last day of the Chinese New Year. The highlight of the festival is the Dragon Dance. Create your own dragon dance with a great Imperial Dragon balloon sculpture. This dragon will have your guests dancing all over the room.
Maybe your guests want to know what it’s like to actually be a dragon? Party 411.com can create a wonderfully colorful Chinese dragon that is a great photo opportunity. Take a picture of your guests as a dragon and place it in a frame. This is sure to be a party favor that no one has ever received before.
Chinese New Year Party Favors
Your guests can leave your party with more than just hope for a happy new year. It’s a Chinese tradition to give close friends and family crisp $1 bills in red envelopes as a symbol of good fortune in the coming year. Passing out cash might get expensive so why not let Party411.com create your own personalized money. With a picture of you on these greenbacks, everyone will remember your party long after it’s over.
You can even turn your cash into a candy wrapper. Party411.com Creations for You can make a candy bar wrapper that looks like a dollar bill. In milk or dark chocolate, it’s a delicious and sweet souvenir. Create your own party bags using a Chinese pail as a container. Fill them with memory booklets, fortune cookies and candy purchased from local Chinese grocery store.
The Chinese New Year is a great excuse to have a party! Your guests will be so delighted with this unique theme they’ll want to know when you’re having another party. Let Party411.com help you will all your parties and your guaranteed success every time.
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Happy New Year and Have fun, from Party411 and The Party Girl
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The entrance to your party can look like a lovely Chinese garden. Place a few