This shop, featuring a Lucky Tree Centerpiece and Chinese New Year Celebration ideas, has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #NewYearFortune #CollectiveBias
There are many things I could list about working in education. One of my favorite events was at the last school I taught at – a cultural bazaar. Students were given the opportunity to present information, traditions and foods from their own or a chosen culture or heritage. The students, families and community loved it. I always thought it was a great way to expose children to authentic traditions, foods and celebrations of various cultures.
However, you don’t have to wait for an event to teach your children about different cultures. You can do it by celebrating traditions outside of your own culture right at home. With foods, crafts and easy celebrations. Your kids will take away memories and a lesson about another culture, all while having fun.
With the Chinese New Year coming up, I created a simple, easy and fun celebration for the Chinese New Year – The Year of the Sheep. I chose to create a Lucky Tree Centerpiece, DIY Red “Envelopes,” paper lanterns and served Tai Pei® appetizers.
The Chinese New Year celebrates the wish of “good fortune” for all in the coming year ahead. I decided to create a Lucky Tree Centerpiece to help convey the notion.
What You’ll Need:
Large Hurricane or Vase
Several Branches/Sticks from Outside. (I gently rinsed mine and allowed to dry overnight).
Tangerines as a filler to help hold sticks in place.
Red Envelopes or Red Treat Bags
Gold Ribbon
Gold Marker
First, start by collecting branches of similar size. Wash, rinse an allow to dry overnight. My husband doesn’t even blink anymore when he sees me collecting branches outside and then washing them…in the deep freeze of the winter.
To make the envelopes, I chose to use red treat bags I already had. It was so inexpensive and easy to do. I traced a Chinese symbol for the Year of the Sheep and used a gold marker to fill it in.
You can decide what to put in your envelope – it can be anything really, but traditionally money or coins are put into the enevelopes. To finish off the bag, fold the bag over, and glue it shut. I then punched a hole, threading gold ribbon through and tied.
This will be how you hang your envelope from the centerpiece.
To assemble, place oranges at the bottom of the vase or hurricane and arrange the sticks/branches. You can trim the branches as needed for a desired size/shape.
Paper lanterns, which are easy to make with red construction paper, and tangerines in a jar help create a festive look for your table – along with traditional appetizers.
I chose Tai Pei® appetizers, which I found in the frozen food section at Walmart, because they are authentic and easy to prepare! Chicken Egg Rolls and Mini Vegetable Rolls were a great choice that everyone would love.
The products are loaded with traditional style and flavor – chicken, pork or shrimp. What I loved best is how crispy these come out – and they’re ready within minutes. The taste goes past the delicious wrappers to fresh, flavorful vegetables and chicken, pork or shrimp.
And with a delicious dipping sauce included with the appetizers, it’s ready to serve. With these appetizers, you’ll be able to see why Tai Pei® truly is Good Fortune in Every Box™
Now that I’ve shown you how I shared the Chinese New Year with my kids, are there any traditions, holidays or celebrations that you have shared with your children? How do you go about it? I’d love to hear thoughts and ideas in the comments below.
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Be sure to visit the Chinese New Year tab on the Tai Pei® Facebook page for a Red Envelope offer – a coupon! These are available while supplies last.
That is absolutely adorable. I would love to do something like this to celebrate Chinese New Year with my kids.
That is so cute! I’ve never done anything like that before.
That is a pretty cool design for the New Year! We celebrated it once in China town and it was so much fun.
Wow, you really celebrate! I love those appetizers, they look so good. I’ll have to keep a lookout for them at my supermarket, I’m not much of a Walmart shopper, I’m team Target…LOL.
Omg now after reading this I have a huge craving for egg rolls!!! Will definitely give these a try!!
What a fun time! I would love to celebrate. The Chinese new year is really big in my area. This would be so fun!
Ow, I had no idea about your lucky tree, but it looks very interesting and I think I’ll be lucky if I have this Lucky tree.
The decor and food both look great. I would definitely be attending your party. 🙂
It’s right to teach the children from home. They don’t have to study and learn everything in school. Practicing traditions will make them appreciate more than just reading them from a book or watching them from a video.
Where did you find that gold marker?? I love how it writes… p.s. you are super creative!
I love it! I would love to do something like that here with my kids, they would really enjoy it! <3
It seems that when you work in education, you also have to be, or learn how to be, creative – and Wow! You are…and I liked the story about the cultural bazaar – very impressive
Those decorations look really nice! I think it would be a lot of fun to celebrate the Chinese New Year!
Cute decorations for Chinese NY! Btw, I was distracted by those egg rolls! Love ‘em!
You got some great ideas. Your appetizers are making me hungry now, I loooove them!
I love Tai Pei and all of their products! I don’t really celebrate chinese new year, but I’ve always wanted to! Maybe this will be the first year!
This will be our first year to celebrate Chinese New Year. I will have to make a tree for my table.
My grandsons’ are soon-to-be 3 and 13 months. Their paternal grandmother is 100% Chinese. They celebrate all the Chinese holidays, so I will be sure to pass this along to my daughter.
That’s really neat. A fun way to celebrate the Chinese New Year.
I love those egg rolls. Yummy. I wish I had some now as I’m pretty hungry
I love this idea to make for the New Year! I think it’s something I can do with the kids. It looks easy to accomplish! Thanks.
Now I’m craving for egg rolls. Celebrating Chinese New Year is big in our country, the Philippines. Although we don’t decorate since we’re not Chinese, but we always look forward to watching the fireworks display around the neighborhood.
This is so wonderful, I love the decorations here, I would like to try to make something like that myself.
This is wonderful. Maybe we should make one here as a centerpiece as well!