Cultural appreciation vs cultural appropriation?
Lets get one thing straight
Cancel culture is real. Whether it’s a celebrity being accused of something horrible (which is NOT ok) or someone wearing an inappropriate hairstyle, mask, or makeup style… It’s a tricky time to be crossing cultural and race boundaries and there is no quick answer to the issue of cultural appropriation.
Appreciation is not Appropriation
This being said, we believe there should still be space for cultural APPRECIATION. We truly believe it is fun, fine and fabulous to host an Italian party, play Italian music, dress up as your favourite famous Italians and eat delicious pasta while sipping your Aperol Spritz. (Just steer clear of dressing up like dictators and Mafioso’s)
For the same reason we believe that embracing, learning about and respectfully celebrating something like the Chinese New Year can be an exciting and mindful way to start 2024.
Auspicious is the key word.
Auspicious means conducive to success or favourable. It is a key part of celebrating the New Year in traditional Chinese culture.
This year, the Chinese New Year starts on the 10th of February and is celebrated for 5 days, ending on the 15th of Feb.
During this time people will traditionally visit relatives and friends to pass on well wishes for upcoming year.
Saying lucky words is a major part of this celebration, so when you meet your Chinese friends in this time, they will be happy to hear words like “Xin nian hao”(Happy New Year.) , “Wanshi ruyi”(Wishing you the best of everything.) and “Gongxi facai”(Wishing you prosperity).
How can you make your home Auspicious?
Colours
There are a number of colours that each have a different auspicious meaning and can be used in different parts of your life.
Red is by far the luckiest colour in traditional Chinese culture and also the main colour used in traditional New Year’s celebrations. Wearing red and adding touches of red to your home is said to invite wealth and good fortune and is therefore auspicious. If red décor isn’t your thing, you could simply add fresh red flowers to your home in this time as a nod to the Chinese New Year. Who doesn’t love a vase of bright red roses? (Auspiciously, Valentines Day is just around the corner and the shops are brimming with yummy red things!)
Deep purple is another auspicious colour. Associated with deep water, it symbolizes wealth, divinity, and ambition. If you want to go all out, choose a dark royal purple and paint a feature wall in your living room, otherwise a glass or ceramic objet d’arts, scatter cushions or throws can invite all the blessings or purple into your home.
Décor
Here you get to live out your fantasies! Lanterns, dragons in all shapes and sizes and traditional Chinese décor items in red and gold will leave no doubt about your appreciations for this time of year. Chrysanthemums in warm colours symbolise vitality and is said to invite good luck into your home. If you want to get the kids involved, get them to draw or make red fish wall hangings to put up around the house. The red carp is also said to be a lucky animal and a symbol of abundance and prosperity.
Food and drink
Now we get to the yum part! An important part of Chinese New Year celebrations is sharing food with loved ones. Traditionally this food includes whole fish, glutinous rice balls, cured meats, citrus fruit and so-called “Longevity Noodles”.If you don’t feel like cooking, you can also simply have a large bowl of orange coloured citrus fruit on display, which is auspicious AND delicious!
Actions
Red cards/paper cuttings and good wishes are almost the most important tradition of the Chinese New Year. It is auspicious to write down good wishes for the new year and hand these to your loved ones. Even though electronic messages are available it is expected that these cards will be handwritten and personally delivered.
Feng Shui your way to success
If all of this sounds a bit too much, you could stick to some classic Feng Shui, principles like decluttering, using lighting strategically, bringing in plants and ensuring that your furniture is comfortable and suited for its purpose. I mean who doesn’t feel good in a neat, well-lit house with comfy chairs and pretty plants?
Ignorance isn’t an excuse.
Whether you choose to appreciate and embrace different cultures or whether this simply remains a bit of informative reading doesn’t matter. What is important is that we celebrate the diversity of our world. Just remember – if you don’t understand a certain aspect of a culture and you’re unsure about what you should or should not do, education is the key to not getting cancelled. If you don’t have any friends who can guide you, simply hop on Google. The world is more open than ever, and ignorance isn’t an excuse!
