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articles about and by Carol Olmstead
Thanksgiving Feng Shui
Thanksgiving is the start of the winter holiday season, and the colors, tastes, and aromas of this festive family holiday are associated with positive Feng Shui. But this holiday can also be stressful and demanding because of all the work involved in planning the meal, and the logistics of getting the family together. Here are three tips to help you create a peaceful and harmonious holiday around the family table. I call them the 3H's of holiday entertaining - Harmonious Seating, Harmonious Decor, Harmonious Foods. For my readers in countries that don't celebrate Thanksgiving, this advice easily applies to other family gatherings and holiday celebrations.
1. Harmonious Seating
The dining room is considered to be a place of wealth in Feng Shui, so be sure to use it. The Thanksgiving season is not the time to eat in front of the TV. Bring out the good stuff -- the china, crystal, silver, and all of the other pieces you have been "saving." What are you saving them for if not for happy family gatherings?
Round or oval is the best table shape for Thanksgiving Feng Shui dining, because the absence of sharp corners and hard edges helps energy -- and conversation -- flow gently. If your table is a rectangle or square, try to avoid seating your guests near corners, which can cause a feeling of unease during the meal. It also helps to use a tablecloth to blunt the edges, or drape live greenery across the corners to soften them.
Also, avoid seating an overbearing guest at the head of the table where he or she could monopolize the conversation. Keep shiny surfaces to a minimum, and stow the carving knife out of sight after you carve the turkey.
2. Harmonious Decor
In Feng Shui, we divide energy into yin (the dark, heavy side) and yang (the bright, lighter side). If your family is prone to squabbles, keep the yang energy to a minimum. This includes inviting an even number of guests, keeping the lights low, and decorating with soothing, earthy colors like pumpkin, goldenrod, evergreen, and chocolate. Use a centerpiece of orange flowers or fresh fruit and vegetables like pumpkins and gourds. The color orange is a Fire Element color in Feng Shui that encourages conversation, and the fresh veggies and fruit represent good health and longevity.
Be sure to remove photos of deceased relatives or animals from the dining room, because these can create health problems if you dine in their presence. Entertaining guests is associated with wealth in Feng Shui, so hang a mirror that reflects your beautifully decorated Thanksgiving table and you will symbolically double your wealth.
3. Harmonious Foods
A plentiful atmosphere is good Feng Shui because it makes your guests feel at ease and encourage them to “eat, drink, and be merry.” Before the big dinner, set out bowls of nuts, dried fruit, and candy throughout your home, and keep pitchers of sparkling cider and mineral water in a central location so that guests can help themselves freely.
Since the winter months are considered to be part of the yin side of our energy, we need to balance this darker, lower, colder energy with strong yang energy in our Thanksgiving menus. Cooked foods, spices, and hot foods such as chile peppers, ginger, and garlic, and chocolate are yang energy. A little bit of chocolate always helps us to appreciate the holiday season – and it’s definitely on my own Thanksgiving Feng Shui menu.
Lighter foods like raw vegetables, potatoes, and fish are yin, and are better used in moderation during this period. But that doesn’t mean you have to totally give up yin foods for the winter. Feng Shui is all about balance, so just be sure to balance lighter foods with a healthy dose of colorful, hot foods. That means you can serve "white" foods like mashed potatoes in bright colored plates and bowls.
1. Harmonious Seating
The dining room is considered to be a place of wealth in Feng Shui, so be sure to use it. The Thanksgiving season is not the time to eat in front of the TV. Bring out the good stuff -- the china, crystal, silver, and all of the other pieces you have been "saving." What are you saving them for if not for happy family gatherings?
Round or oval is the best table shape for Thanksgiving Feng Shui dining, because the absence of sharp corners and hard edges helps energy -- and conversation -- flow gently. If your table is a rectangle or square, try to avoid seating your guests near corners, which can cause a feeling of unease during the meal. It also helps to use a tablecloth to blunt the edges, or drape live greenery across the corners to soften them.
Also, avoid seating an overbearing guest at the head of the table where he or she could monopolize the conversation. Keep shiny surfaces to a minimum, and stow the carving knife out of sight after you carve the turkey.
2. Harmonious Decor
In Feng Shui, we divide energy into yin (the dark, heavy side) and yang (the bright, lighter side). If your family is prone to squabbles, keep the yang energy to a minimum. This includes inviting an even number of guests, keeping the lights low, and decorating with soothing, earthy colors like pumpkin, goldenrod, evergreen, and chocolate. Use a centerpiece of orange flowers or fresh fruit and vegetables like pumpkins and gourds. The color orange is a Fire Element color in Feng Shui that encourages conversation, and the fresh veggies and fruit represent good health and longevity.
Be sure to remove photos of deceased relatives or animals from the dining room, because these can create health problems if you dine in their presence. Entertaining guests is associated with wealth in Feng Shui, so hang a mirror that reflects your beautifully decorated Thanksgiving table and you will symbolically double your wealth.
3. Harmonious Foods
A plentiful atmosphere is good Feng Shui because it makes your guests feel at ease and encourage them to “eat, drink, and be merry.” Before the big dinner, set out bowls of nuts, dried fruit, and candy throughout your home, and keep pitchers of sparkling cider and mineral water in a central location so that guests can help themselves freely.
Since the winter months are considered to be part of the yin side of our energy, we need to balance this darker, lower, colder energy with strong yang energy in our Thanksgiving menus. Cooked foods, spices, and hot foods such as chile peppers, ginger, and garlic, and chocolate are yang energy. A little bit of chocolate always helps us to appreciate the holiday season – and it’s definitely on my own Thanksgiving Feng Shui menu.
Lighter foods like raw vegetables, potatoes, and fish are yin, and are better used in moderation during this period. But that doesn’t mean you have to totally give up yin foods for the winter. Feng Shui is all about balance, so just be sure to balance lighter foods with a healthy dose of colorful, hot foods. That means you can serve "white" foods like mashed potatoes in bright colored plates and bowls.
