 |
Plan a Chinese New Year Party to Ring in the Year of the Monkey
Author: Rajkamta  | Posted: 19-03-2008 | Comments: 0 | Views: 6 | Rating: (53)  (?) 
If you went to China to ring in the new year, you’d be overwhelmed by a frenzy of family, festivities, food and fireworks! On Jan. 22, as the Chinese say goodbye to the Year of the Ram, you can bring a little bit of China into your home by celebrating the beginning of the Year of the Monkey. A vivacious, inquisitive creature, the monkey indicates that the new year will be full of passion, liveliness and prosperity!
Chinese New Year festivities are just as dynamic and spirited as the monkey and are a traditional part of ancient Chinese culture. Bring Chinese New Year joy into the lives of your friends and family with time-honored cooking, colorful decorations and activities for everyone.
Get colorful!
Red and gold are traditional symbols of luck and prosperity. Red also frightens away evil spirits and keeps them from creeping into the new year. Nian is the new year monster known in China for terrorizing children around the new moon and is easily frightened by loud music and bright colors. The Chinese use dancing, firecrackers and red costuming to ring in the new year, and keep out Nian.
Decorate with traditional colors and themes by stacking red plates and cups at one end of a buffet table and allowing guests to serve themselves from the variety of entrées laid out before them. For added flare, dust gold confetti over a black tablecloth. Wrap chopsticks (which can be found at your local Panda Express) in a red napkin and tie them together with shimmering gold ribbon. Grab your wok from the kitchen, fill it with the napkin sets and place it at the other end of your buffet. If your guests -- or any children in the group -- don’t know how to use chopsticks, see below for tips on teaching them how! Family-style dining is a convenient way to make sure your guests enjoy this feasting experience together.
Replace ordinary party gift bags with traditional red couplets. Your guests will love these small red envelopes which are usually inscribed in black with one of four Chinese characters signifying wealth prosperity abundance and long life. It is customary in China to give gifts in monetary form to denote paying off credit or debt. Enclose a small dollar amount in each red couplet, or fill them with gift certificates. Panda Express can provide you with gift certificates for any amount. You can also hang the couplets around your house as decoration and to ward off evil spirits.
Peonies symbolize love, affection and beauty and are known in China as “Flowers of Riches and Honor.” Float them in glass bowls or sprinkle them across your buffet table. According to the Chinese, if a peach blossom blooms during the new year celebration it is a sure sign of future good fortune. Try stringing a flower garland to ornament your mantels or doorways.
Adorn your ceilings with red and black balloons tied with long gold ribbons. Line your walkway with traditional Chinese lanterns to draw light and luck -- along with your friends and family -- straight into your home.
Get hungry!
An expert in blending Chinese tradition with American culture, Panda Express serves up the perfect amount of spice for the new year. If you want to impress your guests by preparing your own Chinese dish, just follow the recipe below for tasty and traditional Kung Pao Chicken. It’s easy to make and will fill your home with savory smells. If you’re looking for a truly hassle-free celebration, let your local Panda Express come to the rescue! The restaurant makes party preparations easy by offering Firecracker Shrimp on its catering menu. Succulent shrimp, colorful peppers and black beans are sautéed with onion, ginger, garlic and wok-charred red chili peppers to create this festive dish.
The monkey is an impetuous creature and, much like the year ahead, it constantly sniffs out variety and rejuvenation. Make your buffet sparkle with an assortment of entrées. Group unique dishes, like the Firecracker Shrimp, with old favorites, like Orange Flavored Chicken and Broccoli with Beef. Quantities can be prepared for gatherings of any size -- worked fresh and ready when you are. Serve each dish large serving bowls on your lavish buffet table.
Get festive!
When your guests arrive, encourage them to take off their shoes and walk softly into your home. Walking tenderly invites a smooth transition into the new year. While it’s tradition to start any new year on a clean slate, brooms and dustpans must be stored out of sight before New Year’s Day to prevent good fortune from being swept away. Fill your home with loved ones, laughter and light. Enjoy the sweet smell of peach blossoms, the company of close friends and the traditional dishes of Panda Express. Kung Hay Fat Choy is Chinese for Happy New Year! Panda Express is Chinese for Yummy.
For more information visit www.pandaexpress.com.
Teach Your Friends to Use Chopsticks
First: The sticks are attached, but sectioned up the middle. Simply pull each end away from the other. Don’t twist them apart or try a fancy way of snapping them; you wouldn’t want a few splinters to hinder your dining experience! Once separated, you can rub the sticks together to smooth any rough edges. Step 1) The Base Stick: Place one stick so that it is cradled between the base of your thumb and forefinger. Hold it in place with the tip of your middle finger, as though you were holding a pencil.
Step 2) The Pivot Stick: Position the next chopstick so that it is pinned against the side of your index finger by the end of your thumb. Make sure the ends of the two sticks line up.
Step 3) The Pick-Up: Holding the base chopstick firmly in place, place a small amount of pressure on the Pivot Stick using the tip of your thumb as its base and your index finger to entice movement. The chopsticks should move like a pair of tweezers with the end of the Pivot Stick moving toward the end of the Base Stick. Slowly try to pick up a big piece of Orange Flavored Chicken, and then go for a small bite of your Kung Pao Chicken. Once you’re a pro, try for a single grain of rice!
Rate this Article:
Current: 0 / 5 stars - 0 vote(s).
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/cooking-tips-articles/plan-a-chinese-new-year-party-to-ring-in-the-year-of-the-monkey-364204.html
|
Submitting articles has become one of the most popular means of generating quality backlinks and targeted traffic to your website. Join us today - It's Free! |
|
Related Articles
What is Nouvelle Cuisine?
By: Sudhir | 04/01/2008 | Food and Beverage
Nouvelle Cuisine
1). There is still a debate on whether nouvelle cuisine has disappeared from the radar.
2). The way we cook at home today owes a great deal to nouvelle cuisine.
3). Nouvelle cuisine was to excite more than just the sense of taste.
Kid Recipe
By: manoj kumar | 06/03/2008 | Recipes
How To Teach Your Children To Cook
If you're ready to teach your children how to cook (with kid recipe), here are some simple tips for teaching them the basics, and giving them skills that will last them a lifetime!
The Applications of Lead Aprons -
By: sunil sharma | 10/03/2008 | Crockpot Recipes
Lead aprons are commonly used in medical and dental practices. In dental practices, the lead apron is often used when having a panoramic dental X-ray performed. Since a panoramic x-ray emits radiation to all parts of the upper body, a lead apron is required to keep the patient safe and to prevent as much excess radiation as possible.
Create a Romantic Evening at Home
By: Kavita | 13/03/2008 | Teenagers
You've decided to invite someone you're dating to your home for a romantic evening and you want everything to go well. Here are a few tips to help you achieve that result.
Shaping Up Holiday Side Dishes
By: Jitender Sharma | 20/03/2008 | Cooking Tips
(ARA) - If dinner rolls and bread are usually guests at your holiday table, you can save a step and impress your guests by substituting savory stuffing loaves, muffins or balls. Molded stuffing is a tempting two-in-one side dish that is easy, too, since convenient packaged stuffing mix is the perfect foundation from which to start your adventure.
Low Fat Salmon Recipes
By: harman | 22/03/2008 | Recipes
Finding delicious has just become easier since you found our website. There are many wonderful low fat salmon recipes that will please your palate plus the palates of your dinner guests or family.
Why Do Make-ahead Recipes Work so Well to Reduce your Dinner Party Stress?
By: Dipak Patra | 06/01/2008 | Cooking Tips
One of the “tricks” I find most useful for hosting stress-free dinner parties is to make some of the recipes ahead. I find that too many last minute jobs can overwhelm me, so I plan ahead to eliminate as many as possible.
Must Haves for Any At-home Chef
By: Sunil Kumar | 06/03/2008 | Cooking Tips
With the holidays on their way soon, many people will be beefing up kitchens to handle the increased demand for ‘fit for a king’ meals. Not being a professional Chef shouldn’t stop you from being able to cook like one. But, you’ll need the right tools to create those tantalizing dishes. Read on and find out the five tools that no kitchen cook should be without.
Got a Question? Ask.
Ask the community a question about this article:
Frequently Asked Questions
How to store baking powder and baking soda?qt=q
By: Nina723 | 10-07-2008
how to store baking powder and baking soda?qt=q
Can I use liquor in my jam recipe?
By: Rita | 08-07-2008
Can you use liquor in jam making?qt=q
Watermelon foaming
By: Kenny | 08-07-2008
I bought a melon and the next day I noticed it had foam coming out of a small split.The next morn.I started to pierce the melon and it sounded like bacon cooking as the pressure was escaping.Has any one ever seen this and what caused this ?
Jello skin -yuck
By: Mikail | 07-07-2008
how to keep skin from forming on jello
Any feedback about RecipeMatcher (www.recipematcher.com)
By: mksasaki | 07-07-2008
Any feedback from home chefs about this RecipeMatcher (www.recipematcher.com)?
Butterfly Bush
By: SusieX | 07-07-2008
Why do the leaves on my butterfly bush have spots on them and turn yellow. I do not see any spider mites.
Q&A Powered by: 
Latest Cooking Tips Articles
A Few Hot-weather Cooking Tips for Vegetarians
By: Genevieve Fosa | 17/07/2008
We are entering the dog-days of summer; those days when the heat can knock you out, and standing in front of a hot stove may be unhealthy.
9 Grilling Tips
By: Tim Sousa | 16/07/2008
Well, you now have your shiny new grill sitting out on the patio, and you're looking forward to cooking some plump, juicy burgers or steaks. You want your food to turn out well, but grilling, like anything else, does take some practice. These grilling tips will help you to...
Lowdown on Barbeque - Introduction
By: nitinmainro | 14/07/2008
Barbeque, in the southern and Midwest parts of the United States, consists of slow-cooking meat over indirect heat. Chicken, beef, pork, sausage, ham, and ribs can all be barbequed - even mutton is sometimes barbequed, at least in Kentucky. With so many ways to make so many dishes, the perfect way to make barbequed meat can be a regional "bone" of contention. In Memphis, Tennessee, barbeque is almost a religion. Barbeque ribs - most often pork, are cooked for long hours, until the meat is so ten
Tips for Preparing Middle Eastern Dips and Spreads
By: Azriel Lider | 13/07/2008
Do you want to prepare your own Middle Eastern dips and spreads? Read more to discover how…
Finding the Best in Mexican Cookware
By: Annie Dubois | 11/07/2008
When it comes time to prepare a favorite meal or snack, having the right tools for the job is a must. Mexican cookware is a wonderful opportunity to utilize the best tools in the industry available at a price that will not break the pocketbook. Hearty and durable, these versatile...
Imaginative Cake Decoration
By: Laura Davis | 08/07/2008
Create a stunning celebration cake in just a few simple steps.
Great Italian Food Starts With Fresh Herbs
By: Joy Harrison | 08/07/2008
There are many wonderful ingredients which add to the richness and flavor of Italian food, but it's the fresh herbs and spices that really make this food delicious. Learn about popular Italian herbs and how to cook with them to make your own scrumptious meals. Herbs are easy to grow too!
Avoiding Grilling Mistakes
By: Tim Sousa | 05/07/2008
It happens from time to time. We're only human, and we do make mistakes. We make mistakes in all areas in our lives, even in grilling. Sometimes, we are not even aware that we've made a mistake. When we are grilling, our mistakes may mean minor consequences, such as overcooked...
More from Rajkamta
Do You Need Bad Credit Help
By: Rajkamta | 27/03/2008 | Management
? Are you one of thousands with no
credit and no collateral to help secure approval, or you just
have extremely bad credit and no one wants to help you, and all
you hear is stories and more stories?
The Paradox of Sarah Kane
By: Rajkamta | 27/03/2008 | Writing
There are some who believe that the world lost one of its finest late 20th century dramatists when Sarah Kane committed suicide in 1999. Her work produced extreme reactions in critics and audiences alike but many failed to appreciate the pure poetry of her writing until it was
7 Tips for Product Enhancement to Increase Your Sales
By: Rajkamta | 27/03/2008 | Business
You may publish this article in your ezine, newsletter on
your web site as long as the byline is included and the
article is included in its entirety. I also ask that you
activate any html links found in the article and in the
byline
Marketing Through Mobile Marketing & Marketing Tip for the Beginning Entrepreneur
By: Rajkamta | 26/03/2008 | Home Business
What can mobile marketing do for your business? Really what you should say is what can it not do for you? This high tech, amazingly simple marketing plan can transform virtually any business. Without marketing, what does your company have? As any business owner knows, telling your market that you are there is the most important thing to do in the first place. Secondly, you need to tell them that you have just what they need to better their lives. Third, you need to tell them about it when they a
Small Business Debt Collection Letter Writing
By: Rajkamta | 24/03/2008 | Small Business
Writing a debt collection letter is one of the most important skills of any small business owner. Do you have what it takes to get the money you’ve earned?
I have a confession: I'm a business writer who's let clients get away with not paying me--a huge sign of failure of my writing abilities.
5 Hidden Resources for Ebay Users
By: Rajkamta | 19/03/2008 | Home Business
Many thousands of people making a living both buying & selling on eBay. Currently ranked as the 37 biggest sites on the net (according to Alexa figures) eBay shows no signs of slowing down, even fortune 500 companies are opening eBay shops to sell surplus & unwanted stock. The following are five resources that I use personally & encourage you to use them to increase your eBay profits with ease.
A Home Based Business That Works
By: Rajkamta | 18/03/2008 | Business
Everyone seems to be trying to work from home today. With the success most people are having from running a home base business everyone wants to get in on it. I myself have started up a home based business, but I keep my full time job. I have the time and freedom to do what I want to my business when I want.
Used Cars for Sale on Ebay
By: Rajkamta | 18/03/2008 | Accessories
There are thousands of used cars for sale on eBay every
single day. In fact, eBay Motors is the most profitable
sales division on eBay and naturally there are many
entrepreneurs who are interested in jumping into this
market. For instance, eBay claims it sells an SUV every nine
seconds and is the biggest online car dealer in America,
exceeding the traditional car companies
|
|
Food and Beverage 
