Memorial Day Traditions

Memorial Day will be on on May 27th, 2013 (check out our countdown widget on the right side bar–it’s on Monday). Memorial Day is a holiday dedicated to honor all Americans who had lost their lives while serving our country. It occurs on the last Monday of every May.

On Memorial Day, many family, friends, and volunteers will visit the national cemetery to honor those who had been in service, and place American flags  and flowers on the graves. Memorial Day used to be called Decoration Day because of the decorated graves.

At 3 pm local time, Americans are asked to pause for 1 minute to signify unity of our country, also known as the National Moment of Remembrance.

Also, the American flag is to be flown at half staff from sunrise until noon. The flag should be raised to the top for a moment before lowering to half staff.

These are only a few traditions to observe on Memorial Day. To learn about these traditions and more, we recommend taking some time to read up on all the different historic and traditional information surrounding Memorial Day.

(Image via HomeSeasons.com)

Rose Colors & Their Meanings

Traditionally, flowers have been used to convey different feelings and emotions, with different types  and colors signifying different things. One flower that signifies Valentine’s Day is definitely the rose. Roses have long been a sought after gift for Valentine’s Day, but, did you know that each color of the rose has a different meaning?

Via Gifts

Roses are especially popular for gifting because they come in such a wide array of colors. If you have a lovely message to send, there is sure to be a rose to help you convey your thoughts. Here are some meanings of the most popular color of roses!

Red Roses – Love, beauty, romance, “I Love You”

Pink Roses – Gentleness, happiness, gracefulness

White Roses – Purity, honor, remembrance

Yellow Roses – Friendship, joy

Orange Roses – Desire

Now that you know a little more about the different meaning of roses, pick the one that best symbolizes your Valentine and surprise them with your newfound knowledge! A meaningful bouquet of flowers can trump the biggest box of chocolate, so be sure to include a lovely vase along with your bouquet.

Chinese New Year Red Home Decorations

While cleaning your home for Chinese New Year is a must, decorating it is also necessary! Alongside fresh flowers, many families also put up other Chinese New Year decorations to celebrate. Red is the color of Chinese New Year, so make sure you have an abundance of red around your home!

We’re going to share with you some popular decorations for you to use for your own home during Chinese New Year!

Via About

Firecrackers are synonymous with Chinese New Year celebrations. Though many cities now do not allow real firecrackers to be set off because of safety, there are many decorative firecrackers that we can find on the market.

Via Random Walk in Learning

This decorative sign, also known as fai chun, is common for Chinese New Year. Many fai chun are still drawn by hand using Chinese calligraphy on a piece of red paper, but you can also find printed ones. Traditional four-word phrases are usually written on the fai chun, signifying anything from good luck, health, to many others.

Via Paperkraft

Check out this one we have from HomeSeasons.com

If you visit a Chinese New Year festival, you’ll definitely see a lot of red lanterns. They can be decorated with intricate designs, or just plain. Either way, they are beautiful when lit up.

Via This is Mandarin

The Chinese knot decoration is a prevalent wall decor. The art of knotting was popularized in the Ming Dynasty and continues to be popular now, and especially during holidays. It can be decorated using coins strung into the knot.

Give a few of these decorations a try for Chinese New Year, and let us know which is your favorite!

About Chinese New Year Red Envelopes

In Chinese, red envelopes are called 利是 (pronounced lai-see). During Chinese New Year, red envelopes are typically given to children and unwed individuals from married couples and adults. This tradition has been going on for hundreds of years, and continues to be practiced to this day.

Via HomeSeasons.com

Inside each red envelope is money. During this time of the year, many adults start setting aside fresh and crisp dollars to put in each envelope. The amount must steer clear of the number 4 because it signifies death in the Chinese culture. The children who receive the envelopes will graciously thank the adult, and wish them good health and fortune for the new year.

Red envelopes are also given to lion dance performers, teachers, and other individuals for their service.

Though it is most common to exchange red envelopes for Chinese New Year, many other occasions also call for this tradition. Red envelopes are also given for weddings and birthdays to wish the recipient good luck and fortune.

What other information do you want to learn about the red envelope? Let us know and we’ll share with everyone in a future post. We hope everyone will receive a lot of good fortune and red envelopes this Chinese New Year!

Lucky Foods to Eat on Chinese New Year

Along with attending community festivals and celebrations, Chinese New Year is all about the food. Family and friends gather together to enjoy a large meal to welcome the new year. As you may already know, good luck and fortune is very important to the Chinese culture, and food is no exception.

Today, we’re going to share with you a list of lucky foods to eat on Chinese New Year. Keep reading to find out which foods are lucky to the Chinese, and the reason why.

Noodles: Long noodles signify a long life.  There is even a “long life noodle” that is especially popular this time of year and during birthdays. Noodles can be served with soup, or in a stir fry dish.

Via Sop International

Nian Gao: The direct translation of this food is “year cake.” In Chinese, the word “gao” sounds like the word for “high”  so eating nian gao signifies reaching new heights in the new year. Nian gao is a sweet glutinous rice cake that is cut up into slices and served.

Via Chow

Fish: One dish that cannot be forgotten is fish. In Chinese, the word fish sounds similar to the word that means plenty and abundance. By serving fish, we are wishing abundance of food and luck to our families. Steamed whole with soy sauce is a popular way to serve the fish.

Via Asian Food Grocer

Dumplings: Dumplings are commonly served on Chinese New Year in Northern China because of their shape. Dumplings are shaped like yuan bao, which are gold coins, representing prosperity.

Yuan Bao from HomeSeasons.com

Via CN Culture

Radish/Turnip Cake: While it is served year around at Chinese dimsum restaurants, the radish cake is especially popular during Chinese New Year. The word radish sounds like “good fortune” in Chinese. The radish cake is usually steamed and  made with radish, turnip, or daikon and rice flour as the base, with pieces of Chinese sausage, dried shrimp, and mushrooms mixed in.

Via Food for Four

All of these lucky foods, along with and many others, are served to friends and family for Chinese New Year to wish everyone good luck and fortune for the new year. Which one of these will you try for Chinese New Year? Let us know in the comments below!

All About the Chinese Lion Dance

If you’ve ever seen or been part of a Chinese New Year festival, you may have witnessed the Chinese Lion Dance. Two individuals dressed in a lion costume perform a dance to drums and music to bring good luck and fortune to the local community.

Via Rent Cafe/China Blog

The lion dance costumes are usually made with bright colors. There are two main styles of lion dance costumes, from the northern and southern region of China.

The Chinese Northern Lion has long orange and yellow fur on the body. A male and female lion is differentiated by a red and green bow, respectively.

Via Cultural China

The Chinese Southern Lion has a few more variations of appearance depending on the style: “Fut San (Buddha Mountain), Hok san (Crane Style), Fut-Hok (minor style that exhibits a hybrid of Fut San and Hok San), Jow Ga (minor style performed by practitioners of Jow family style kung fu, exampled by the Wong People), and the Green Lion (Qing1 Shi1 – popular with the Fukien/Hokkien and Taiwanese).” [Source]

Here are some examples of the Chinese Southern lion.

Via Hello Kids & CCTV

During the Chinese New Year celebrations, the Chinese lion will visit local businesses and homes. The community will prepare a giant head of lettuce and a red envelope for the lion to “eat” when they visit. The lion brings good luck and fortune to the community, and then is given the red envelope as a gift.

If two lions approach the same lettuce, they will compete by doing elaborate martial arts moves and dances, and the winner will gain respect and praise to their group.

The lion dance is not just popular among the Chinese. There are also variations of it in other parts of Asia, such as Korea, Malaysia, Taiwan, and Japan.

The Chinese Lion Dance is an important part of the Chinese New Year celebration. Have you ever seen a Chinese Lion Dance? Let us know in the comments below. We can’t wait to see the lions perform again for 2013!

Chinese New Year 2013: Year of the Snake

Chinese New Year is less than a month away! Many of us are familiar with the January 1st traditions we celebrate on the first day of every calendar year we observe (also known as the Western or Gregorian calendar). However, the Chinese observe a different calendar known as the lunar calendar (based on the cycles of the moon), and Chinese New Year falls on a different day every year.

For 2013, Chinese New Year will be on February 10. Each year is represented by one of 12 animals, and the cycle is repeated every 12 years. 2012 was the year of the dragon, and 2013 will  be the year of the snake. (For  more information on the origin of Chinese New Year, click here).

Via AF Chicago

Many families start preparing for the holiday a month in advance. The home is thoroughly cleaned, and festivities and foods are planned. Families gather together to celebrate the holiday with a large feast the night before. Children will wish good fortune and health to all the elders, and in return, given a red envelope of money. The night comes to an end with loud bangs of firecrackers and poppers.

We’re going to be sharing more Chinese New Year posts soon! Learn all about the traditions that the Chinese observe for the holiday, and what types of food are served. We’re also going to share home decorating tips and project ideas to inspire you to prepare your home for the holiday. Stay tuned!

 

The Eccentric Upside Down Christmas Tree – Pt 2

It’s been a year since we last posted about the upside down Christmas tree (check out the post here), and we’re back for a part 2! We don’t exactly know where the idea came from, but we think it’s pretty cool to have an upside down Christmas tree for the holidays. Not only does it add a little bit of extra modern flair, it also allows more space under the tree for presents!

We’re going to share some pictures we found of decorated upside down Christmas trees to inspire all of you to create your own, or just put you all in awe of how cool these look!

From Happy Loves Rosie

From The Daily Buzz

From Apartment Therapy

From Top Tenz

From Centsible Savings

Will you be having an upside down Christmas tree this holiday, or will you be having a traditional upright Christmas tree? Let us know in the comments below! As much as we like the upside down Christmas tree, our mind is still boggled at where this idea came to be. If you know, please share with us!

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Don’t forget to enter our giveaway for a chance to win a stuffed stocking full of Christmas goodies! Keep the entries coming! Giveaway ends 12/09/12.

Giveaway post:
http://blog.homeseasons.com/2012/11/27/2012-christmas-giveaway-win-a-stuffed-christmas-stocking-from-homeseasons/