Back in my previous life as a marketing director, I was acutely aware of when the Lunar New Year was (we used to call it Chinese New Year, since we were dealing with Chinese factories).  We used to send gifts to our Chinese counterparts and have a celebration at the office.

Now, though, Lunar New Year can come and go and I don’t even notice.  That makes me a little sad.

So, this year, I’m going to celebrate the stay@home FOODIE way – with semi-traditional foods, a little decoration and a lot of imagination.  So what if the kids don’t get it… I will and I’ll be celebrating my own way – with bastardized traditions and Americanized ideas.  It’s the thought that counts, right?

Don’t worry … these ideas are healthy, fun and kid-friendly.

• Pack Mandarin Oranges (or Clementines) in your child’s lunch and write a happy message on it… the oranges symbolize prosperity and abundance
• Sesame pastries are traditional sweets to symbolize fertility… maybe I’ll skip this one.  2 kids is enough for me.  But, if you are in the market for more rugrats, go American by toasting up a sesame bagel.
• Long Noodles symbolized long life.  Ramen, Spaghetti, fettucine… any of them will do the trick. Let the kids slurp them up with gusto, since cutting the noodles jinxes the long-life meaning.
• Make an Asian inspired meal of your choosing and serve it with chopsticks!
• Eat 8 (small) cookies in one sitting… the number 8 is lucky, and most foods and traditions for the Lunar New Year come in “8′s”.

Don’t want to celebrate with food?  It’s the year of the snake and there are tons of crafts from around the web that are perfect for the Lunar New Year.