Celebrating Chinese New Year

Whether you have friends that are Chinese or simply enjoy getting involved in the customs of other cultures from around the world, Chinese New Year is becoming a popular celebration to get involved with.  Many cities around the world that have a Chinatown will have organised New Year celebrations but the essence of the holiday is getting together with friends and family so this can be done on a smaller level in your own home.

Basics

Chinese New Year is also known as the Spring Festival and isn’t a single day as the New Year here is in the UK but a fifteen day long celebration that begins with the preparations in the old year and goes through for days afterwards.  The date is defined by a combination of the solar and lunar calendar and a series of complicated astronomical calculations – in 2016, the result is that it is on Monday 8^th February.  The occasion is also celebrated in parts of south-east Asia including Vietnam where is it called Tet, Malaysia and Taiwan. 

One of the big parts of celebrating Chinese New Year isn’t as much fun as the food and fireworks – the cleaning of the house.  Chinese believe it is important to give the house a good clean before the event, a little like our spring clean.  This cleans away any bad luck accumulated over the previous year.  Decorations are then put up with red being a central theme as it is considered lucky.  Paper cut decorations are popular as the tradition dates back to ancient Han times in China.

Food traditions

In northern China, dumplings are a central part of the New Year traditions.  A fish dish is also considered important to serve for the New Year’s Eve Dinner, where all the family and friends gather together.  Just like our New Year, every stays up until midnight for the fireworks.

New Year Cake is made from glutinous flour with sugar and is a popular dish to serve on the occasion for those from the east of China.  Tang Yuan is also made with glutinous rice flour, mixed with water and made into small balls.  These are served in boiling water and can be filled or left unfilled.  It is often associated with the Lantern Festival, on the 15^th of the first month of the New Year.

A Tray of Togetherness is another food tradition – it is an octagon shaped tray that has eight compartments and each is filled with symbolic foods.  These might be things like lotus seeds and lychee nuts that give a sweet start to the year.  Everyone takes a little from the compartments as part of the celebration.

Gift traditions

Red again features in traditional gifts to celebrate the occasion, with small red packets called leisee being given to children.  They have gold symbols on them and are filled with ‘lucky money’.  Of course if your guests aren’t Chinese, then you could opt for a personalised gift to celebrate the New Year, such as a glass with the event and year on it.

Why Valentine’s Isn’t Just About Roses

It can be easy to fall into the trap around Valentine’s Day to pay a fortune for some red roses or perhaps splash out on a big box of chocolates.  And there’s nothing wrong with either of these presents for the one you love but what about if they are on a diet and suffer with allergies?  Or if these traditional presents just don’t suit the person?  Then the good news is that Valentine’s Day is about more than just roses and chocolates.

Show your love

Modern Valentine’s Day is about showing your love for the one in your life and there are lots of ways to do this that will be with them for longer than traditional gifts such as flowers and chocolates.  Wall plaques are a popular way to show your love, with the ability to put a personalised message into them adding to the sentiment.  One example is the I Love You Valentine’s Teddy Bear Heart.  The recipient’s name can be added to the heart and the ceramic decoration hangs from the wall for a daily reminder of your love.

If the two of you live together, then the Love Tiles Personalised Cushion Cover is a great idea for your sofa or to sit on the bed.  Under the love tiles can be added up to 20 characters so both of your names is one idea or perhaps the date you moved in together or your anniversary.  Another reminder of your love that will last longer than a box of chocolates!

Fun presents

Valentine’s presents can also be the chance to give a fun present that tells someone you love them.  The I Love Personalised Sweet Jar is a great example.  With the I Love fixed text can be added two lines of up to 12 characters so you could add your name with the ‘& sweets’ for someone with a sweet tooth!

The Hearts and Buttons Mug is perfect for coffee fans and features a single area for a name then three lines on the reverse side of the mug with up to 25 characters per line to add a special message.  That way, every time the person has a mug of their favourite drink, they will remember your love.

Celebrating the day

If you want to do something special for Valentine’s Day, such as cook a meal or have an intimate cocktail party for two, then you can bring the present into the theme.  A bottle of prosecco with a personalised label may be an ideal way to celebrate the occasion and your love for each other.  Alternatively, if they are a fan of shot drinks, then a Be Mine Happy Valentine’s glass would be perfect to present to them on the night along with a bottle of their favourite spirit – Jägermeister or Tequila are two favourites for the short and sharp drink fan.

Whatever you choose to buy for your special person, being together is often the most important part of Valentine’s Day and whatever you get them, they are sure to love it like they do you.

Preparing for Your First Puppy

So the family has had a meeting and a decision has been made – you are going to get your first puppy.  Whether you are opting for a little ball of fluff or a big dog that will get bigger, there are some pieces of advice that remain the same.  Here we help you prepare for your first puppy.

Basics

The most important thing for any dog is their food and water so the first things you need to get are bowls for this.  There are some cute and funny shaped ones out there but most dog owners will tell you that a solid ceramic or stainless steel bowl are winners.  Plastic bowls are too easily chewed as those little teeth grow and these chew marks can actually harbour bacteria that can infect the food or cause teeth and gum infections.

A mat to stand these on is a good idea to help save the mess on the floor, though be prepared that the dishes don’t stay there all the time when the puppy is still in their exuberant and enthusiastic time!

Having mentioned chewing, this leads to another crucial element for a new puppy – toys.  If you don’t provide them with chewable (and destructible) toys, they will find items around the house to do the job.  Likely the thing you least want chewing or that could even be dangerous.  Chewable toys help them with their teeth and is enjoyable for them.  Make sure that the toys are specially designed for pets, non-toxic and don’t have any small parts that can be chewed off, swallowed and become a choking hazard.

Identification

There are several different ideas about identification for your puppy but it is important to choose an option as soon as you pick him up.  By law, all dogs need to wear a collar that has a tag on with your name and address, a phone number being a good idea too.  In addition to this, many owners choose to microchip the puppy too.  This is a quick and painless procedure carried out by your vet and isn’t as easy to shake loose as a collar can be.  Vets and shelters can scan the information on the chip if your puppy gets away from you and ensure you are reunited with them.

Other items

Grooming your puppy is important to help them keep their coat in good order but is also an important bonding experience between the two of you.  Pick them up a personalised dog brush that is only used for them and have a regular grooming session.  Dogs often need a bath too so best to get them used to this experience from a young age.

Before the puppy arrives, it is important to puppy-proof the house.  You might want to consider a stair gate if they are able to get to the stairs to stop accidents.  Also go around the house and think like a puppy – what can they chew?  How high will their reach be and what can they get at?  All of this can help avoid accidents and injuries once they have arrived, though your puppy should always be supervised when young.