A slightly different version of this (my) article appeared in local newspaper about 15 years ago as a simple and fun community interest story. I wanted to save this article here in this blog so decided to include it here today even though the Chinese New Year celebration time has passed by now. I did a Year of the Tiger and Chinese New Year presentation at a local library back in February for the Chinese New Year 2022 about the folklore of this holiday and we did pass out fortune cookies after reading the story of "The Race for the Chinese New Year," a legend from China about the new year animals. However, the forlklore program I do at the library is for adults to learn about folklore they share with the children in their lives or the folklore they like to read and hear about themselves.
Nota: 2022 is the Year of the Tiger. (Photo below is of a dragon.)
Have a happy Chinese New Year party!
By Mary Ann Bencivengo
(This was the headline in the paper.)
If you need a second chance to affirm your New Year’s resolutions, the Chinese New Year comes just in time, on February 18. Or, you can break the monotony of the winter chill and throw a Chinese New Year party for your kids. If you don’t have kids, adults might like this idea too—just omit from its itinerary the children’s activities.
Ideas here are loose ones. You can alter any of them for age appropriation.
Have your child construct a guest list for a luncheon of 3-5, to serve, along with herself, 4-6.
Have your child choose an entrée from a Chinese menu. Hint: If your child has never tried Chinese food before and is a fussy eater: most kids love sweet and sour chicken. It is
sliced and fried like familiar chicken bites or chicken fingers. If no one has allaergies to shellfish, try a bag of shrimp chips--they are are a nice change from potato chips and yet resemble them, so kids are likely to try them. You can usually get these in grocery stores. Buy fortune cookies. A big bowl of them makes a fun centerpiece for the table.
Red is the traditional color for décor for Chinese table settings and the Chinese New Year because it is vibrant. Placemats at Chinese restaurants are always red and always display the Chinese Zodiac, which is fun reading and conversation material for the party. Make sure you ask for them when you pick up your take-out.
On the placemat, the kids will see illustrations of various animals marked with various years under them. The Chinese Zodiac runs in 12-year cycles, each year being named after a certain animal. If a child was born in 1994 she was born in the Year of the Dog.
If a child was born in 1998, he was born in the Year of the Tiger. Certain qualities are attributed to each animal. If born in the Year of the Dog the person is said to be loyal and honest but sometimes stubborn. If born in the Year of the Tiger the person is supposedly assertive, sometimes aggressive, and courageous yet sensitive. Kids can have fun saying that they like dogs or are like a tiger.
They also can learn about human nature and characteristics--virtues and vices--this way in a way that is fun, since kids love legend and fables. It also bestows upon them the perfect opportunity to make resolutions to improve behavior—to be kind, to be trustworthy, to be ambitious. With this kind of material provided, they get also the opportunity to do it on their own instead of at a time when they are being scolded. This activity also provides them an exercise in how others perceive them. Common remarks and jokes are “I like monkeying around!” or “Yeah, in school you are such a horse because you love to run so much during recess!” This, you hope, is all in good fun and quite often you will hear the kids give wonderful compliments to each other as well as joke around.
If you like structure at your child’s parties, you can give them a blank placemat—in form of a piece of paper of placemat size--in addition to the other and have them illustrate their animal on it. They can do this while you brew Chinese decaf tea. Young children love this idea of brewing this tea, simply because it is exotic to them and Chinese. Then start the luncheon off with a tea party when it’s ready and the markers are put away, or surprise them with the activity after they eat.
You can go to the library and check out a book on a Chinese story or Chinese fairy tales. For instance, did you know that the first Cinderella story originated in China?
Download and print images of China from the internet that they can pass around.
Teach the kids how to say hello and goodbye and “Happy New Year!” in Chinese.
Then let them have a little free-time play, which is what children love when not in school.
Not only is this party fun but is also a great way to introduce cultural awareness to your child. My first pair of chopsticks when I was a kid came from an order form on a cereal box I mailed in. I was mesmerized and thrilled to see the paper they were wrapped in with the strange or ornate décor and writing on it, on something that came from the other side of the world! You can string Chinese paper lanterns and hang a New Year banner. You can somehow add a pig as central to the theme this year since this year is The Year of the Pig
This party is especially fun for the littlest ones like toddler-age through kindergarten, but even pre-teens can enjoy hostessing their own event. After all, even adults sometimes like silly parties!
Other than
resources already mentioned, you can get more materials for this party at Party
America at [...this store is not there anymore at the location I gave]. There is a nice selection there
for what you will need except for the food and the Zodiac placemats. Or you can try the Oriental Trading catalog.
I also looked for piggy bank party favors so everyone could remember the pig all year and bank on good fortune but I didn’t find any. If you do, please let me know. I’ll try to bank on that for next year.
Happy New Year again and may all your resolutions hold true!
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