Holidays are special times to gather family and friends together to enjoy festivities, gifts, and special foods. This is especially true at Christmas, Hanukkah, and Kwanzaa when we seek to share the bounty of the year by giving gifts and celebrating with those closest to us.
It is a fun and beautiful time of year when homes and shops are decorated in glittering lights and bountiful greenery.
Decorating for the holidays is also great feng shui because it puts attention – and intention – on your home.
We seek to create warm and beautifully-decorated homes that appeal to both grown-up and children’s tastes alike. Children enjoy the festive ornaments and decorations of stars, presents, Santa, reindeer, the North Pole, Hanukkah presents, and the Nativity scene.
Both adults and children enjoy a beautiful Christmas Tree and sparkling holiday decorations.
Create a feng shui holiday this year for fun and for the greater intention and meaning that it can bring to your holidays. It’s a wonderful way to incorporate more mindfulness as you make your holiday preparations.
1. CLEAR OUT UNUSED ITEMS AND TOYS.
This isn’t the fun part, but it is important. Good feng shui requires room for chi to circulate — and to grow, we must have room.
So, before all the new gifts and things come into the house, take a half-hour to go room to room and clear out old, broken, or unused items.
Then, donate what’s usable to charity and throw away the rest. You will feel much better about all the additional things coming into the house if some of the old clutter is removed first.
OK, now that’s out of the way…
2. WRAP GIFTS ACCORDING TO WHO RECEIVES THEM.
Wrap all the gifts according to color and recipient using the feng shui guidelines. Not only will the gifts be appropriate to the person, they will also be easy to identify and quick to find.
- Father/Man: Gold paper
- Mother/Woman: Red or purple paper
- Children: Silver or purple paper
- Boys/Sons: Brown, craft, blue or green paper
- Girls/Daughters: Red, pink, or purple paper
- Grandparents: Gold or purple paper
- Someone who has been ill: Brown, craft, or green paper (with or without nature designs such as trees, pine boughs, deer)
- Neighbors/Friends/Coworkers: Red
3. SEND “GOLD” FOR PRESENTS.
Whether they’re for business associates or family members, Christmas, Hanukkah, or Kwanzaa, oranges are considered to be “natural gold” and represent both wealth and opportunities. The word “orange” is a homophone with the word “gold” in Mandarin. Gold is always appropriate for gifts, such as Hanukkah gelt, gold-wrapped candies, and other goodies.
If you’re at a loss for ideas of a gift to give, go online and send a box of beautiful oranges. Include a note that explains how the Chinese revere oranges as representations of golden opportunities and wealth. This turns a simple box of citrus into a load of gold. And while you’re ordering, consider sending your own family a gift of oranges!
Another option? A beautiful box of oranges also makes a terrific business or New Year’s gift. A beautiful flowering plant such as narcissus symbolizes gold and your wish for prosperity.
4. PLACE AND DECORATE YOUR TREE ACCORDING TO WHAT YOU WANT TO ACHIEVE.
A lighted Christmas tree is a large and powerful object that can be used for directing energy toward something you desire.
What’s your heart’s wish? More money?
Put your tree or holiday decorations in the Southeast corner of your living room or home and decorate accordingly. May you’d like a husband or new man in your life? Place decorations in the NW corner of your home or living room. Simply more family harmony? Then decorate in a mixture of red and gold. These two colors bring harmony and happiness wherever they are placed.
Whatever it is that you want, just be sure to observe the feng shui decorating guidelines in No. 5 below.
5. PLACE RELIGIOUS ARTICLES WHERE THEY WILL BENEFIT YOU.
Place Nativity scenes and religious figurines in the center of the living room or home. Figures of the Three Kings or Santa can go in the northwest, as can a creche. The Three Kings represent helpful people traveling to visit the Baby Jesus. In feng shui, the Three Kings and Santa Claus represent benefactors who can bestow gifts to you as well.
The northwest also represents international dealings and travel (and is a good place to store travel information and suitcases). Avoid placing your menorah here, though, as the candles burning here are not good feng shui.
Photo courtesy of Southernliving.com
6. DECORATE YOUR CHRISTMAS TREE WITH FENG SHUI
When decorating your tree for the holiday, consider using feng shui colors according to the direction that you place the tree.
IN THE NW CORNER/SECTOR (helpful people, father, men, heaven, international dealings/travel)
Decorate with silver or gold objects, crystals, mirrors, shiny and round objects
IN THE SOUTH CORNER/SECTOR (fame, recognition, social standing)
Decorate with colors of red and green or purple, and use bright lights, birds such as red cardinals, phoenix, or peacocks, bird’s nests, natural objects such as branches or pine cones, triangular-shaped objects.
IN THE EAST CORNER/SECTOR (health, family relationships, growth)
Decorate with blue or green colors, natural objects such as pine cones, tree boughs
IN THE NORTH CORNER/SECTOR (career, opportunities)
Decorate with gold, silver, and/or blue colors and nautical items, seashells, ships, or metallic decorations and round shapes.
IN THE SOUTHEAST CORNER/SECTOR (wealth/abundance)
Decorate with light green, green, blue, or purple colors, natural objects, water objects, such as seashells or fish-themed trees, fruits, and natural objects are perfect decorations
IN THE NORTHEAST (education, wisdom), SOUTHWEST (relationships, marriage, women), OR CENTER CORNER/SECTOR (health, wealth, relationships)
Decorate with red and gold colors together, crystals, mirrors, red or white lights
7. LIGHT UP YOUR FOYER FOR A WELCOMING ENTRY — and more opportunities!
Lights are perfect feng shui – whether they are placed in the south or in the east. Adorn your plants with tiny white lights, or put them into vases. Outline the front door with a lighted garland to bring extra energy to your home.
Whatever you do, though, make sure the foyer is well-decorated and lit up. This welcomes all who come to your house and beckons opportunities because the foyer of the home is where opportunities enter.
8. BUY YOUR HOUSE OR FAMILY A GIFT.
Present your home or your family a gift that all can enjoy. It can be a beautiful painting or a simple vase (for the fresh flowers that you will resolve to buy yourself next year!). Or, purchase a game that you can all play together or a popcorn maker for when you’re watching movies. Anything that encourages your family time together is a great feng shui.
