How are you celebrating the arrival of Chinese New Year? For us, it's simple: jewellery! Over the years, we've created limited edition pieces inspired by the animal zodiac, including a
mystic dragon and fierce tiger. 2014's symbol, the Wooden Horse, set our imaginations free and was a key reference for
brand new jewellery which galloped into our stores and website this week!
To get you in the mood for the festivities ahead, we caught up with
Selfridges' laser cutting queen Susanna to hear all about the celebration:
Chinese New Year is a little bit like Christmas. When I was younger, there was a lot of tidying up as my whole family worked together to get the house ready for friends to come and visit us. Oh, and just like at Christmas, you get to eat lots of sweets and treats! The best thing to eat is Nian gao, a type of cake made from glutinous rice. Its name is a homonym, so it sounds like 'higher year' which is good luck. Everyone wears new clothes, too - especially in the colour red as it drives away bad luck. Here's a photo of me when I was tiny, getting ready to party...
Okay, just one more! Here I am wearing a miniature version of traditional dress:
Usually, I celebrate Chinese New Year here in the UK, but last year I headed to Hong Kong for the very first time. It was so much fun! I saw lots of amazing lion dances - two people are dressed in a colourful and elaborate lion costume and mimic the movements of a lion to drumming or traditional songs. They even had people on poles playing the lions - they jumped nimbly from pole to pole as we watched! I fell in love with this amazing pink creature:
My top tip for celebrating Chinese New Year? Definitely head into Chinatown! There are lots of exciting shows and shops full of things you don't really need but are too cute to leave behind! This year, I'll be spending the day beating small children up - well, giving a Tae Kwan Do demonstration! I hope you all have lots of fun celebrating the arrival of the New Year - see you soon!
Thanks, Susanna! Don't miss Team Tatty's resident martial arts expert showing off her skills in a special
demonstration this weekend.
Ready to set off an equestrian adventure? Get the first look at our new
Horse Necklace and
Brooch now!
