Design Inspirations: The Chinese New Year

Goodbye, year of the water snake…..

hello, year of the wooden horse.

The Chinese New Year began last Friday on Jan. 31, the first day of the first month of the Chinese calendar, and celebrations will carry on for the next 14 days.  Talk about a party!!  You may or may not know that the Chinese calendar is determined by both solar and lunar changes and while I am sure there is interest in that for some… I find total fascination in the animal signs and the decorations!

The Chinese animal signs are a significant part of the new year, with this year ushering in the horse, an animal signifying unexpected adventure and surprising romance.  These characteristics are the most pertinent to those who were also born in the year of the horse: 1918, 1930, 1942, 1954, 1966, 1978, 1990, 2002, 2014.  (of which one of these is my birth year so I am doubly excited about any unexpected adventure!)

As for the decorations…I find the level of beauty and the detail in all of them to be so exquisite…and I am mesmerized by the happiness, the festival of lights, and the sheer joy that a paper lantern can bring.  

Dallas

image via crazy-frankenstein.com

image via serena poon

A celebration in London

image via dragon horse

Quite frankly… red is my least favorite color but in the Chinese culture, red symbolizes fire and drives away bad luck so it is customary during any New Year celebration to wear red and decorate with red paper… and in this case, I think it is beautiful.  What do you think?

Happy Wednesday!

                                               xx,