Girlfriends, looking for something different to do for your February Girls Night? Try a Lunar New Year Celebration to gather with your girlfriends in the spirit of new beginning, good fortune, and colorful festivity. This girls night is certain to liven up your winter routine!

Sometimes known as Chinese New Year, the Lunar New Year is actually celebrated throughout Asia. This year (2010), it falls on February 14 – making it a perfect alternative for those of you who want an alternative to Valentine’s Day.

Setting and Setup

With one visit to your local Chinatown, you can score loads of inexpensive decorations and other items to help you set the mood. Party supply stores are also beginning to carry “Chinese New Year” decorations. For a more subtle look, paper lanterns make a pretty and inexpensive way to set the mood at your party. We’ve seen these everywhere from party supply stores to Pottery Barn. Luna Bazaar is a good online source.

Decorating with red  and gold is traditional and symbolic. You may want to cover your front door with red paper, for example. Red signifies happiness and luck, and gold signifies wealth. These colors are in abundance at party supply stores.

Invitations

If you’re feeling ambitious, how about making fortune cookies with the party details inside? Yes, you’d have to hand-deliver them, but that makes the invite more special. Here’s how to do it (thanks to Second City Soiree for the tip.)

Not enough time? Okay, then Evite has some Chinese New Year templates for quick and easy inviting.

Food and Drink

This party just screams “ORDER OUT,” doesn’t it? Unless you’ve mastered some Asian specialties yourself, why not let the experts do it? An assortment of Chinese takeout served buffet style would be delicious. Be sure to include noodles in the menu, as they are traditionally served as a sign of longevity. Other traditional foods include whole fish to signify abundance, and greens for prosperity. Here is a great blog post detailing a Chinese New Year menu (homemade) and the significance of each item, with lots of photos. Use it for inspiration! It details how to make Lychee Bellinis using lychee nuts and prosecco (super simple and festive.  Why not whip some up for your girlfriends?)

Connecting Activities

Prepare red envelopes for each of your girlfriends. It is traditional to gift people with money in the envelopes on Chinese New Year. If that doesn’t feel right, how about preparing a personalized wish or intention for each girlfriend to usher in the new year? OR, have each girlfriend choose an envelope and write a wish to another guest, then have the recipients take turns reading them aloud. Traditional wishes are for happiness, wealth and longevity.

If you’re lucky enough to have a kumquat tree, (many people do as patio plants)  you can decorate it with the red envelopes. Kumquats, tangerines and oranges are also considered good luck.

Fun fortune cookies, as mentioned above, can also take a personalized twist. Make them fun or thoughtful.

Party Favors

A box of these Lunar Babies Chinese Zodiac notecards would be splurgy, but adorable. (Hat tip to Amy Chen of Gadling.com)

Or, a set of Feng Shui candles would be nice (here’s a super cheap source, but you have to buy 12)

Enjoy celebrating the Lunar New Year with your girlfriends. If you do, be sure to let us know how it goes!

Thanks to our blogging girlfriends MJ Tam, Nancy Loo and Jen Luby for contributing their ideas to this party!