BLUE AND GOLD IDEAS

Chinese Decorations Ideas for Your Blue and Gold

Brenda, Last Frontier Council

Instructions for some of these items can be found under Pack and Den Activities  CD

Posters and Banners - One of the prominent Chinese New Year decorations is called “chun lian.” A chun lian is a temporary decoration placed outside the home at the entrance used only during Chinese New Year. Vertical strips of red paper contain Chinese characters expressing happy, uplifting messages about the coming new year. The characters are typically hand painted using a calligraphic style.  These strips of paper are then posted on the front door with the first chun lian hanging vertically on the right side of the door, a second on the left and an optional third posted horizontally across the top. 

Another typical decoration involves the Chinese word “fu” which means “luck.”  When people celebrate Chinese New Year, they often create posters with this word written upside down. This is the only time that Chinese words are purposely posted upside down.  Chinese people often decorate their homes with beautiful paintings at the beginning of the year. These paintings usually depict spring rituals and legends. In addition, Chinese

Dragons

The Chinese dragon is a symbol of royalty and a symbol of strength and goodness. A dragon parade is held every Chinese New Year. You can stage a dragon dance to open your Blue and Gold.

First, have each boy make a dragon’s face from paper plates, then tape each plate to a craft stick or straw. Play some lively music and have the boys lead a dragon dance around the room.

They should hold their dragons high as they wish one another happiness and good luck. The body of the dragon shown is made of green construction paper and the head/tail patterns should be enlarged.

Lanterns

Chinese New Year celebrations traditionally end with the Festival of Lanterns. This would make a great closing for your Blue and Gold.  Help the boys celebrate their Chinese New Year, which signals the end of winter and the coming of spring, by making paper lanterns.

For each lantern, fold 9” x 12” construction paper in half lengthwise. Cut slits from the fold to about one inch from the edge. Unfold the sheet and tape or staple the two shorter edges of the paper together to form the lantern. Add a paper handle and hang from ceiling or use as table decorations.

A Different Kind of Calendar

One of the calendars used in China is a lunar calendar, which is divided into 12-year cycles, that follow the moon.  Each year of the lunar calendar is named after an animal, so the year and date a person is born determines their animal sign. Some believe that their animal sign can determine the type of life they will live. The beginning of each lunar year changes because of the moon cycles, but it usually falls between January 21 and February 20 on our calendar. Have the boys create their own Chinese New Year calendar.  Can they find out which animal sign they were born under?

A Luck Hanging

Paper was invented in China. Besides writing, another use for paper that is still popular today is “papercuts”. They are pictures or designs cut into paper and hung for good luck. Some believe that the rooster will protect the house from fires. A favorite color for papercuts is red, which stands for joy and life. Have the boys make their own luck hanging using the pattern below, enlarge to desired size.

Chinese Banners

Sam Houston Area Council

Have the Cub Scouts trace these characters and transfer them to red poster board.

Use them to decorate for your Blue & Gold Banquet.

Another Poster

Alice, Golden Empire Council

Around the Chinese New Year, people often put up a poster with this word on it - upside down! It's the only time when a Chinese word is posted upside down intentionally.    If you want to try it, just start at the left top, go down and then across and down – and you don’t have to use a brush and ink as calligraphers do – 90% of the time, Chinese people use a ball point pen like we do!  Now just turn it upside down and you’ll be ready for the New Year!

Blue and Gold Table Lanterns

Brenda, Last Frontier Council

The Chinese love lanterns so light up your night with table lanterns for your Blue and Gold dinner.

Needed:

16 Craft Sticks

4 Scout Foamies or wooden Fleur-de-lis cutouts

Blue and Gold Paint

Foam Brush

Wax Paper

Tacky Glue

Small Candle, Tea Light or Glow Stick

Instructions:

·         Paint 16 craft sticks blue.

·         Paint 4 Fleur-de-lis gold.

·         Let dry. 

·         Lay a 24" piece of wax paper on your work surface.

·         Start at the left bottom and glue four craft sticks on the wax paper to make a square box.

·         Right next to it make another square of four craft sticks.

·         Repeat two more times so you have four squares.

·         Glue Fleur-de-lis in place.

·         Let dry.

·         Trim the wax paper along the top.

·         Trim down the side but leave a half inch to glue.

·         Fold wax paper to make a box.

·         Glue flap to secure.

·         Set a candle in a votive inside and see how pretty it looks when the light shines through.

Keep candle away from sides