THE Spring Festival is the time of the year when all the family members of the family meet and return to their families. There are several traditions and practises associated with the Chinese New Year (CNY). The majority of the time, significant care is taken to decorate the house and select objects that will bring luck and success in the next year. Making your own decorations is, after all, the best way to get into the mood of a family gathering. This is a wonderful way to save money and spend quality time together as a family. We searched the internet for some of our favourite simple home decor ideas.
Paper Cuttings
The art of paper cutting uses scissors or a knife upon coloured paper and attaching the designs on a contrasting background or clear surface. The paper cuttings, which symbolise people’s aspirations for a better future, are typically stuck on windows, doors, or walls. Paper cuttings typically feature the zodiac sign and auspicious characters.
Blooming flowers
One of the best New Year decorations might be beautiful flowers, and the most popular varieties during this time are those which are frequently associated with luck and good fortune. The butterfly orchid is the top pick for living rooms since it blooms gracefully and elegantly right around Chinese New Year. The peach-pink blooms represent love and wealth, and have the power to drive away evil spirits. The silver willow, also known as the pussy willow, represents rising wealth in one’s business. The conifer’s Chinese common name, guzmania, translates to “Lucky Strike.” Since red is the Chinese New Year’s theme colour, it’s also a good plant to add festivity because its crimson blossom is said to be an auspicious sign.
Fu Characters
The Chinese character for luck is “Fu,“ which is also a popular ornamental item in Chinese houses. In order to let luck flow forth and flood the house, the “Fu” characters are flipped upside-down and hung from blossom trees or painted on walls. It’s interesting that people usually decide to stick it on the window or door upside down since the Chinese word for inversion, “dao”, has the same sound as the word for “coming.” An upside-down Fu character portends good fortune. Additionally, some individuals put upside-down Fu figures on their doors to bring luck to anybody who enters.
Chinese lanterns
Lanterns are frequently seen hanging from trees in the streets, inside workplaces, and on home doors. Red lanterns are traditionally associated with the Lunar New Year as a means to represent hope, endurance, courage, and the light of the new year. Some of them you may hang indoors with a piece of string, while others float away outside. A crimson lantern hung in front of the entrance is thought to ward off ill luck and symbolise prosperity, love, and harmony.
Door couplets
New Year’s couplets with greetings or happy phrases are often put on the front door. Due to the Chinese belief that even numbers are lucky and auspicious, Chinese New Year greetings are typically posted in pairs. On red paper, these wishes are written in the shape of couplets in black ink. Additionally, you have the option of hanging them as décor on the wall. Because the phrases written on them are seen as positive signs that extend beyond the festive period, people often leave these couplets up until the start of the new year.
Kumquat Trees
On Chinese New Year, we should decorate our homes with these “golden trees”, as the name of the kumquat in Mandarin is akin to the phrases for “gold” and “good luck.” The presence of a kumquat tree in one’s house represents a wish for prosperity and luck. Kumquats are therefore said to be popular during the Chinese New Year. Make sure you pick the fruitiest tree since it is said that the more fruit a tree has, the more luck and money it will bring.
Red packets
You will undoubtedly see red packages during CNY. As a way to wish their children and unmarried young relatives and friends wealth, happiness, and success, red packets are usually used to offer money to them. If you have a surplus of red packets, you can use them to adorn orange or mandarin trees to symbolise more money, prosperity, and luck. The red packets may also be used to create easy crafts that you can use to beautify your house.
Chinese New Year decorating doesn’t have to be difficult; this straightforward decoration is sufficient to make your home charming and warming! Have fun with your home’s décor!
