The Chinese New Year, or Lunar New Year, is a holiday observed by Chinese communities worldwide. The celebration begins on the year’s first new moon and lasts until the full moon 15 days later. This period, called the Spring Festival, is a time of feasting, gifting, and preparing for the coming seasons.
The next Chinese New Year takes place on Jan. 22, 2023, signifying the Year of the Rabbit. The festivities wrap up on Feb.5, 2023, with Chinese Lantern Festivals in China and across the globe.
Decor Ideas for Your Chinese New Year Celebration
Get a head start on the fun with our list of Chinese New Year party supplies and home decor. We included everything from lanterns to fruit trees to help you welcome the next phase of life with festivity and fortune.
Chinese Lanterns
Red Chinese lanterns are a must-have party decoration for your Lunar New Year celebration. Red symbolizes joy, luck, and prosperity in Chinese culture, so you’ll need a lot of this color around your home.
Lanterns symbolize letting go of the past and welcoming a bright new future filled with an abundance of good fortune. According to Feng Shui Beginner, the placement of your paper lanterns determines how well their auspicious qualities will work.
Review these instructions for hanging lantern decorations:
- Don’t reuse lanterns from years past. According to tradition, you should start the year fresh with brand-new lanterns.
- Good things come in pairs. This Chinese proverb encourages the use of two lantern decorations instead of one.
- Use correct feng shui placement. Hang your lanterns on each side of the front door to ward off evil spirits. Avoid hanging a single lantern in the center of the door, as this can block the outward flow of negative chi.
- Use only red lanterns for your doorway. In Chinese tradition, red lanterns signify that blessings and opportunities will soon come knocking at your door.
With these rules in mind, you can start shopping for Chinese New Year lantern decorations. This set from Amazon features two red lanterns with intricate gold designs. For anyone that wants an abundance of lanterns (or good fortune), this set includes 20 red paper lanterns to decorate every doorway in your home.
Lucky Money Envelopes
Lucky Money envelopes are essential for your Chinese New Year celebration. The envelopes are filled with money, and their bright red color signifies success and blessings to come. Give these iconic red envelopes as holiday gifts and party favors to your friends and family.
Traditionally, parents leave a red envelope and two mandarin oranges by their child’s bedside on New Year’s Eve. During family celebrations, married couples bring red envelopes for the younger, unmarried family members. The Lucky Money tradition, in many ways, exemplifies the passage into adulthood and readiness to share one’s wealth.
Chinese American Family provides the following red envelope etiquette rules for Lunar New Year gift-giving:
- Use crisp new bills in your red envelopes.
- Don’t include loose coins.
- Even dollar amounts are preferred – except for the number four, which resembles the word “death” in Chinese.
- Wait to open your envelopes until you’ve parted ways.
Spring Couplets
Spring Couplets are one of the oldest Lunar New Year decorations and an ancient Chinese tradition. Couplets are poetic verses written in black or gold calligraphy on bright red paper.
A tradition that dates back to the 14th century, these poems were once written on peach wood and painted with images of two protective deities. People hung the boards over doorways to drive away evil spirits before the new year’s arrival.
Today, people paste paper couplets on both sides of their front doors to observe the tradition.
Prepare your home for a flourishing year with Spring Couplet decorations. This customized Chinese Couplet from the SemliCalligraphy Etsy store features a hand-scripted note of your choice. This DIY Blank Couplet from the MasterChinese store is perfect for writing your own messages at home.
Fu Characters
Fu is a Chinese character that symbolizes happiness, favor, and luck. Traditional Fu decorations consist of diamond-shaped paper sheets with ornate gold or black writing.
The sheets are hung upside down as wall decor to signify an outpouring of good fortune in the new year.
Want to decorate your home with Chinese Fu characters? These sticker templates from Amazon come blank, allowing you to try your hand at Fu character calligraphy. Paste the sheets on the wall when you’re done to enjoy your festive symbol of fortune.
Paper Cuttings
Paper cutting is a Chinese tradition dating back to the 6th century. The art form mainly developed as a celebratory and religious practice but eventually became a well-loved hobby for many Chinese people. Today, paper cutouts are created from red paper and used to decorate lanterns, doorways, windows, and walls. They also make excellent party favors at Chinese New Year celebrations.
Watch as artist Tina Yu makes an intricate cutout for the Spring Festival:
Want to make your own paper cuttings? This kit from Baiobfm includes 60 templates with easy-to-follow instructions for the whole family.
Chinese New Year Dragons
Dragons are another lucky symbol to use in your Chinese New Year decor. These creatures, which are said to exude wisdom and strength, have been iconic Chinese cultural symbols since as early as 4,500 B.C. They’re the only mythical Chinese Zodiac animal, earning them recognition as powerful spiritual deities in East Asian culture.
Dragon dances often occur at Spring Festivals and Lunar New Year celebrations. These performances originated during the Han Dynasty and feature several people operating a large dragon puppet. The dances are believed to scare off bad spirits and usher in a season of wealth.
Add Chinese dragons to your home decor for an alluringly auspicious display. We love these ideas from Amazon:
- Chinese New Year Dragon Garland from Bememo
- Paper Dragon and Red Lantern Decorations from Angela&Alex
- Lunar New Year Dragon Ceiling Decor by Gaudiwel
Chinese Knots
Chinese knots are beautiful Lunar New Year decorations born from a long and rich artistic tradition. The art form involves tying a single rope in intricate patterns to produce a wide variety of shapes and textures, often with tassels hanging from the bottom. The twists and turns of the rope strand signify the cycle of life, while the red color evokes prosperity and luck.
Give Chinese knots as party favors, or include them in your Chinese New Year decor for a touch of traditional elegance. The knots make perfect hanging ornaments or window accessories for the Spring Festival season. This set from Amazon features red knots, tassels, and Year of the Rabbit charms to honor 2023’s Chinese Zodiac animal.
Kumquat Trees
Kumquat trees symbolize luck in Chinese culture and are an important part of Lunar New Year celebrations.
These small fruit-bearing citrus plants are frequently given as New Year’s gifts or kept as holiday decorations during the Spring Festival.
Add a kumquat tree to your festive home decor for a delightful touch of greenery and a reminder that good things are coming.
If you’ve never owned a kumquat tree before, don’t worry. This guide from Gift Flowers explains everything you need to know about caring for these prosperous plants.
Festive Table Decorations
A festive tablescape is essential for your Chinese New Year feast. Explore this list of themed table decorations for a celebratory spread:
- Chinese Knot Chopsticks Set from CheeseandU
- Tableware and Napkin Set from Partystadl
- Paper Cutout Chargers from Big Dot of Happiness
- Lunar New Year Rabbit Confetti from Big Dot of Happiness
- Year of the Rabbit Table Runner from the Artoid Mode Store
Need affordable and easy party favors for your dinner guests? This video tutorial from Apple Art & Craft demonstrates how to make DIY paper fans:
Wishing You a Lucky Lunar New Year
With these ideas in mind, you’re ready to decorate your home for a year of growth, well-being, and an outpouring of prosperity. Whether you stick with traditional Chinese decor or put a modern spin on your Spring Festival home design, you’re sure to ring in 2023 with a sense of rejuvenation.
Today’s Homeowner wishes you a Happy Lunar New Year and many prosperous seasons to follow.
Disclosure: Today’s Homeowner participates in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. This affiliate advertising program is designed to provide a means for the publishers to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.
