Celebrating Chinese New Year

Chinese New Year holds a special space in our home. My two older children are of Chinese heritage. Their father being British Born Chinese. When my marriage ended with their father our celebrations never did and I have cherished and love every Chinese New Year decorating the house with red lanterns, making Chinese sweet bread and eating Hot Pot until we could eat no more.

This years celebrations are very different not seeing friends we love to share the celebrations with but we will make it special with food, board games and crafts.

The lovely thing is this year the little one is at the lovely age where she is aware of these celebrations and immersing her in the occasion is wonderful. The sights, sounds and smells will be within our four walls but we have so much to enrich her experience around the home.

I’ve always been a big fan of real objects for play and exploration rather than manufactured toys and over the years I built a basket of Chinese treasures (all kept in a large bamboo steamer) the textures, the colour and patterns so evocative of Chinese culture - of the tiny shops I visited many years ago in Hong Kong.

I have been working on a Chinese New Year pack, which I have not managed to finish in time this year - but I’ve decided to add other festivals to it and make it a year round guide which will be available sometime in the near future.

I’m slowly building up a collection of Persian items for Nowruz a celebration which I can’t wait to build on as part of the little ones own family heritage.

Do you collect items from your heritage?

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