Year of the Tiger – Family Dinner Tablescape & Home Decor

 

Celebrating Chinese New Year is always fun, and this year is no exception. 

 

With the Year of the Tiger starting on February 1st, 2022, this is the perfect time to get inspired with these tablescaping ideas for your celebration. You’ll be in style and surrounded by auspicious symbols of wealth and luck.

 

In the Asian culture, each year is associated with an animal that symbolizes certain characteristics. The Year of the Tiger is said to represent strength, power and prosperity . 

 

So without further ado, here are all the ideas you need to make your Year of the Tiger celebrations feel extra special.

 

Traditional CNY colors & motifs 

 

Everyone loves festive colors and motifs, but if you want to make your celebration truly authentic, then stick with the traditional Lunar New Year’s Day color palette: red and gold.

 

Have you ever wondered why red is so prominent in Chinese New Year?

 

From red envelopes to red-lined good luck banners, everything is flooded with red during Chinese New Year. 

 

Red symbolizes fire, good fortune, and joy. It is the color of happiness, used strictly for celebrations. Additionally, gold symbolizes wealth and prosperity. Together, they are used to spread the message of good fortune and prosperity for everyone in the coming new year.

Lanterns 

 

Lanterns are a traditional element of the Chinese New Year because they’re thought to ward off evil powers from lurking in the night. 

 

The lanterns are used to create a spirit of peace, prosperity and good fortune so be sure to hang a couple at your door during the festivities. 

 

Some hallways and entrances can be dark so the lanterns I opted for are a non traditional color. A cherry blossom pink is bright enough that it pops and the contrasting patterns make it stand out even more. 

 

If you’re looking to create a statement piece, use a silk fabric pattern. If you only have a basic red lantern, you can use white paint and draw on it to create a unique look. 

Other symbols 

 

Lions, dragons, paper crafts, gold coins replicas are common finds for decorations but sometimes that might feel too generic. 

 

For a unique take, I like to work with something with a story to it, like this miniature wall divider. Paired with these frosted red berries, it works as the perfect statement piece on my entryway console.

 

My advice? Have fun decorating in red and work with anything outside the norm. ⁠

 

Setting the table 

 

With the tiger being the guest of honor this Lunar New Year, I couldn’t resist buying these tiger plates for my family dinner. 

 

Although this year I invested in this charming table set, it’s not necessary to own animal specific plate sets. 

 

You can simply use your white china and bring in the symbol of the year through other decorations such as a card, a napkin ring or paper napkins featuring the animal. 

 

 

Keep your tablescape simple 

 

The main purpose of this tablescape is to enjoy a cozy reunion dinner with your family on New Year’s Eve so my advice is to keep your table simple and accessible. 

 

Keep all your usual tableware and throw in a chinese patterned tablecloth. For my own tablescape, I used a blue qing hua patterned tablecloth. 

 

Besides the tiger plates, I kept everything to pieces that I already had on hand.

 

 

I first placed a round red plate for the main course and layered the coupe tiger plates for the appetizer. 

 

Red underplates are as versatile as the gold ones. It matches very well on all occasions, from valentine’s day, Christmas, new year, Chinese new year, national day , July 4th etc. 

 

On the left I placed my cloth napkin, simply rolled and tied with an elegant blue napkin ring. The blue tassel I used on the napkins is the classic Chinese love knot. 

 

On the right I set the chopsticks on a persimmons chopstick holder, next to a gold tablespoon. 

 

Above the plates I have placed traditional Chinese tea cups to the left. On the right, a simple drinking cup. 

 

It’s a tradition in my husband’s family to enjoy tea made with rock sugar, lotus seeds & white fungus on the first day of the new year. 

 

I Intentionally left the center of the table bare, to accommodate all the food! As you know, the Lunar New Year is a foodie’s heaven – full of sweets and tasty treats.

 

 

There you have it, a simple yet elegant & comfortable tablescape for your Chinese New Year celebration. Feel free to use it as inspiration and make your own spins to suit your personal style. 

 

Make it fun! 

 

Happy Chinese New Year ahead everyone! 

 

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