This week, we had the pleasure of sharing Chinese New Year gifting and food ideas with CP24 Breakfast, live on location at Shangri-La Hotel, Toronto. See what you missed below! Thank you to August Media for being onsite to capture all the magic!

Modern decor and gifting ideas for Chinese New Year at Shangri-La Hotel Toronto, as seen on CP24
Modern decor and gifting ideas for Chinese New Year
Modern decor and gifting ideas for Chinese New Year at Shangri-La Hotel Toronto, as seen on CP24
Modern decor and gifting ideas for Chinese New Year at Shangri-La Hotel Toronto, as seen on CP24
We were joined by Jee from CP24
Chinese New Year celebration with lion dancers at Shangri-La Hotel Toronto, as seen on CP24

Chinese New Year would not be complete without a performance from traditional lion dancers. Wushu Project delighted us with a special pink lion that matched our decor set up perfectly.

Chinese New Year celebration with lion dancers at Shangri-La Hotel Toronto, as seen on CP24

Modern Gifting Ideas

We all know Chinese New Year is about giving and receiving well wishes for red pockets. I brought in some unique gifting ideas from Toronto retailers with special limited edition Chinese New Year gifts.

Modern Chinese New Year gifting ideas at Shangri-La Hotel Toronto, as seen on CP24
Modern Chinese New Year gifting ideas at Shangri-La Hotel Toronto, as seen on CP24
Modern Chinese New Year gifting ideas at Shangri-La Hotel Toronto, as seen on CP24
Modern Chinese New Year gifting ideas at Shangri-La Hotel Toronto, as seen on CP24
Custom Eclairs from Nugateau - Modern Chinese New Year gifting ideas at Shangri-La Hotel Toronto, as seen on CP24

Nugateau’s beautiful custom decorated eclairs made such a statement. They come in a special gift box, perfect for gifting.

Custom candy box - Modern Chinese New Year gifting ideas at Shangri-La Hotel Toronto, as seen on CP24

Candy Fix Boutique shared a special Lunar New Year gift box with us, complete with lucky gold and red coloured sweets. This would be a special gift for a boss or friends with kids.

Mango pocket dessert - Modern Chinese New Year gifting ideas at Shangri-La Hotel Toronto, as seen on CP24

Mango Like Desserts created special red “pockets” filled with lychee and mango, a tasty combination for the new year.

Decorate with Colour

Our decor partners pulled out all the stops, giving us inspired creations for decorating for the New Year.

Decorating with red and pink - Modern Chinese New Year Decor ideas at Shangri-La Hotel Toronto, as seen on CP24

Red and gold are traditionally lucky colours. If you want to decorate to bring luck to the home, definitely use red and gold! I added a pop of pink to soften up the colour palette. Opening Night Flowers gave us some beautiful pops of colour in the floral. Chair Decor provided gold linen and charger plates that complimented the look so well.

Cherry blossom and fans - Modern Chinese New Year Decor ideas at Shangri-La Hotel Toronto, as seen on CP24

Ettridges Studio created a stunning backdrop of pink chiffon, gold fans and custom made and hand-dyed cherry blossoms made of crepe paper. Cherry blossoms signal the start of spring so they are used often for decor. It was so beautiful and so appropriate for the season.

Feast with Lucky Foods

Holidays are always about eating and feasting with family. Chinese New Year is no different! We brought in traditional and modern takes on festive foods for the segment.

Rovey Catering provided us traditional foods typically eaten at Chinese New Year. Steamed fish is my favourite dish, and it’s displayed whole with a head and tail to symbolize a lucky start and finish to the year. Roast pork and shrimp balls also were shared in the segment, as they are typically eaten in big Chinese banquets for the new year.

For a modern take on Chinese New Year good eats, we enjoyed a special Chinese New Year Afternoon Tea at the lobby lounge at Shangri-La Hotel, Toronto. We were joined by Executive Chef Malcom Webster. It was such a delight!

Thank you to Puzzle Creations, Lune Beauty Boutique and Fitzroy Rentals for helping me look so fab.

It was such a pleasure to share traditions I grew up with, as well as inspiring ideas for a modern take on Chinese New Year. Big thanks to Shangr-La Hotel, Toronto, for partnering with us to make this happen. Thanks for tuning in!


Rebecca Chan is a Toronto event designer and event planner. If you have a brand activation, media launch event, design project, trade show or a special event, connect with her today to see how we can collaborate on your next project.