3 ways to create a beautiful Chinese New Year tablescape

Food plays a special role in the Chinese or Lunar New Year holiday, as decadent dishes foretell wealth, health and good fortune in the coming year. Presenting the food is just as important, incorporating elements that reinforce Chinese ancestry and culture, as well as good tidings. Here are just a few ideas to perfect your table's overall design.

By far, the most popular colour associated with Chinese New Year festivals is a rich, hearty red. Symbolizing new growth and life force, you'll see it on everything from table runners to napkins. However, there are many colours linked to luck which are used in abundance at this time of year. Black, gold and orange are also popular colours to use during the holidays. Using them all at once can quickly overwhelm your design, so try to stick to one or two main colours with others used sparingly as accents.

Fruits like oranges and tangerines, red and black coloured seeds, branches, red lanterns and animals like lions and dragons show up repeatedly in New Year décor. Unlike with favourite holiday colours, it's easy to incorporate all of these elements into tablescapes without overdoing it. Fill one small glass vase with red seeds and another with black ones. Place a branch in each and dangle miniature red lanterns from it to set the foundation for an intriguing display. Pair with a whimsical dragon or an arrangement of oranges for a centrepiece, or use table linens to put on sophisticated finishing touches.

The Lunar New Year is a time for family reunions and sharing meals together. A time-honoured tradition is the red envelope. Used for gifting cash to young, unmarried members of the family, they're often left on the table during a family meal. Red envelopes can also be used in your décor to denote good luck and good fortune. You can combine these with fun, kid-friendly elements, such as making paper lion and dragon puppets and taping them to chopsticks in order to put on plays. Another common Chinese tradition is writing riddles on red lanterns, and then asking kids to solve them. You could revitalize your family's dinner by placing a lantern at each place setting.