At the Table: Embracing the January Blues

Happy Wednesday! I’m at the table, embracing the January Blues!

My Monday Morning Blooms arrangement with hydrangeas and tulips migrated to this blue and white ginger jar as a centerpiece for the table.

I’m also embracing Classic Blue, Pantone Color of the Year. The Pantone Color Institute forecasts global color trends, and chose Classic Blue for 2020:

A timeless and enduring blue hue, PANTONE 19-4052 Classic Blue is elegant in its simplicity. Suggestive of the sky at dusk, the reassuring qualities of the thought-provoking Classic Blue highlight our desire for a dependable and stable foundation on which to build as we cross the threshold into a new era.

A blue paisley tablecloth provides a foundation for Ralph Lauren Mandarin Blue dinnerware, a nod to Chinese New Year.

Blue and white ceramic chopsticks sit atop sauce bowls. . .

And ceramic painted blue and white napkin rings, marry a pair of patterned paisley napkins.

Chinese New Year or Lunar New Year, (also known as Spring Festival), falls in the period from January 21 to February 20, beginning with the first new moon of the year. It is celebrated around the world, but the main festivities are in China as well as other Asian countries, including Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore and Korea.

 According to tradition, each year of the Chinese calendar is associated with one of the twelve zodiac signs: rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, sheep, monkey, rooster, dog, or pig. You can read more about the attributes and the animals of the Chinese Zodiac, here.

2020 is the Year of the Rat, which begins on January 25th.

Chinese New Year festivities start the day before the New Year and traditionally last 15 days, ending with the Lantern Festival. Family members return home, with businesses going on holiday and students getting extended time off.

The Year of the Rat is the first zodiac sign in the Chinese zodiac cycle. According to the Chinese zodiac story, the Jade Emperor held a competition to decide the order of zodiac animals and the quick-witted rat asked the diligent ox to take him on a ride to cross the river. He jumped down before the ox crossed the finish line, so the rat won the race and became the first of the zodiac animals.

The Chinese New Year is full of dragon dances, fireworks, feasts, gift-giving, and lantern festivals. Red is the Chinese national color and represents happiness, beauty, success and good fortune.

Red envelopes containing money are also given out to children by their families to wish them longevity and a happy New Year. Because eight is a lucky number, eight is represented in different ways, including dishes that include eight ingredients or menus that include eight dishes.

Here are some good luck foods and recipes for celebrating Chinese New Year to enjoy. Click on the links for the complete recipe.

Long Life Noodle Soup and tour a Chinese garden

Blood Orange-Shrimp Stir-Fry

Colorful, flavorful and healthy, with “good luck” oranges

Shrimp Potstickers with Soy-Ginger Dipping Sauce

Delicious dumplings that are easier to make than you might guess!

Table Details:

Ralph Lauren Mandarin Blue Dinnerware / T.J. Maxx, several years ago

Blue & White Ginger Jar and Napkin Rings / Pier 1

Blue and white chopsticks / World Market

White Chargers / HomeGoods, several years ago

Blue Placemats / Bunny Williams, Ballard Designs

Napkins and Tablecloth / T.J. Maxx, several years ago

Flatware / Wallace Gold Accent Corsica

Blue Goblets / Pfaltzgraff All Purpose Glasses

Thank you for your visit, sharing with:

 Metamorphosis Monday