6 Activities To Do With Your Family To Celebrate The Chinese Year Of The Tiger

The Chinese New Year is right around the corner! This vibrant and culturally-rich festival marks the beginning of the new year as per the Chinese lunisolar calendar. The essence of this festival is to honor the deities and pay respects to their ancestors.

Today, it is celebrated with an indulgent meal and reconnecting with family members, both near and far. The Chinese New Year is now celebrated across the globe in various cities beyond Asia, all with the same theme-out with the old and in with the new. Saying goodbye to the year that has passed, and welcoming a new year filled with prosperity and luck.

As per the Chinese zodiac, the Year of the Tiger is approaching and is the best time to engage and get in touch with your roots.

Why is spending time with your family so important?

It isn't just for those red envelopes. Being with your family, especially during the holidays can fill your life with love and support. Not just that, spending time with your family has several benefits, including those on health. Here are some ways being with your family during celebrations and occasions can boost your physical and mental health:

1. Improves mental health

What is a family, if not our dear ones providing love and support? When we are together in person, engaging in face-to-face communications, our mental health thanks us. This communication and presence are important in dealing with challenges in the external world. This time spent together can reduce the occurrences of anxiety, depression, and other mental health issues.

2. Better eating and lifestyle habits

Let's not lie. Every time we are around our moms and grandmoms, we get a lecture on our eating habits. This is probably why we eat healthier and better quality food when we are back home for the holidays. Not just that, celebrating festivals with our families means we wake up on time, practice better hygiene, and do all the things we just let go of when we are enjoying our bachelor-style life.

3. More physical activities

Be it a mop around the house or a group trek, when we are with our families, there is no dearth of physical activities. This too boosts our health.

6 things to do with your family this Chinese New Year

Apart from viewing lion dances and exchanging those red envelopes, there are several things you can do this spring festival.

Here are some things to do in the Chinese new year!

1. Swipe out the bad

It is tradition to do a thorough cleaning of the house before the festival. This tradition symbolizes the removal of the bad luck of the past year, just like you sweep out all things dirty, and welcome all the good things the new year has to offer with open arms.

2. Get crafty and go on a decoration spree

Do you know what's more fun than DIY? DIY with family! Head out to your nearest craft stores and buy rolls of red paper and cloth and start making lanterns, origami, paper plate dragons, and even envelopes! Give your home a festive feel with these Chinese new year art and craft.

3. Imbibe a new skill

Chinese culture is known for its beautiful art forms and calligraphy. This could be a great time to pass on this tradition to your children/teach yourself about this wonderful art. You could even try and perform some traditional dance forms for your family.

4. Gorge on heavenly feasts at the reunion dinner

Be it dumplings, rice balls, or fish, Chinese New Year has several delicacies to its name. The list of dishes that are made on the eve of CNY is umpteen. Why not put your chef hat on and help out in the kitchen? You and your family can get together and delegate the preparations for the reunion dinner amongst yourselves.

5. Kick it off with some games and visits

CNY-themed games are always a fun pastime- for kids and adults alike! You can get a dragon-shaped pinata and have fun bashing out goodies. Or play Catch the Dragon's Tail and get in a good workout. Form a line with all the participants. The person in the front is the dragon's head, and the person at the end is the tail. The head needs to tag the tail and everyone in the middle must do all they can to keep the dragon line intact. When the person at the tail-end gets tagged, he moves to the front of the line and plays their turn as the head.

6. Reconnecting with ancestors

It is tradition to honor your ancestors on the Chinese New Year. One can do this by visiting their graves, placing an extra glass of water on the dinner table, or offering sacrifices before the reunion dinner. You can make this occasion more special by narrating interesting stories of your ancestors that can be passed down through generations.

The list of things to do at Chinese new year is endless! With this, we would like to conclude by wishing you and your family a very happy Chinese New Year and hope it brings you tremendous prosperity and luck.