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The 100 Days Of Chinese Baby-Naming

Every culture does little things differently. From the way we eat, to the way we greet each other, our traditions largely dictate our actions. From the moment we’re born, we‘re taught how things are. Babies from different cultures, for instance, are named in a whole host of ways. Here in the UK, most people choose names before babies are born. A naming ceremony will then traditionally consist of a church christening. Yet, as can be seen from sites like https://www.babycentre.co.uk, few other countries follow that lead.

The 100 Days Of Chinese Baby-Naming

Ideas for My Dream Bathroom

I was asked to come up with some ideas on what my dream bathroom would look like, so I’m sharing them with you if you’d like a little inspiration. I’m keen on incorporating my background into this room, as an Asian themed space is ideal for creating a calming and inviting atmosphere – while incorporating all the serenity of the most luxurious spa. It’s all about clean lines and minimalism – I love the soothing nature of this kind of look.

My Dream Bathroom

Chinese Wedding Gifts

For English weddings, the bride and groom typically create a gift registry. However, in Chinese culture, we tend to be more practical—cash is preferred. This helps to offset wedding costs and, in some cases, contributes to obligations involving the mother-in-law.

Traditionally, the groom is expected to cover the entire cost of the wedding, including the banquet. This differs from English customs, where the bride’s parents usually pay for the wedding dinner. In Chinese weddings, the bride’s mother may request five or more tables for her guests. The monetary gifts (ang bao) collected from these tables typically go to the bride’s family, while gifts from the groom’s side are used to help cover the wedding expenses.

chinese wedding gifts

Chinese New Year Traditions

Ever since I moved to the UK for work, I’ve found it difficult to keep up with or properly observe the Chinese New Year traditions my mum used to teach me. Part of it is because I’ve forgotten what it was like, as I haven’t been back to Singapore during this festive period for eight years. Another part is that I like to think of myself as a modern woman who doesn’t need to follow every superstitious rule.

Chinese New Year Traditions

Summer Reads with Chinese Cultural Books

This summer, we have been busy reading these Chinese cultural books from Tuttle publishers.  As a bilingual parent, I have always wanted my children to learn their own mother tongue and learn about their own culture.

Tuttle have just published these books which are close to our heart and our cultures and I have been able to show it to my children. Tuttle was founded in 1832 in the small New England town of Rutland, Vermont. Since 1948, Tuttle has been a leader in publishing books on the cultures, arts, cuisines, languages and literatures of Asia. If you are looking for these types of books, they have a great range of books to buy.

summer reads with chinese cultural books

Paper Cutting For Celebrations Review

Would you like to give your gift an unusual touch or perhaps you would like to show off your paper craft skills to impress your family and friends? Then Paper Cutting For Celebrations is the perfect book for you. This book is written by Zhao Ziping who is a professional paper cutting artist at the Shanghai Arts & Crafts research institute, and was published by Tuttle Publishing in June 2014. It is available to buy on Amazon.

paper cutting for celebrations book

Chinese interior tips for your UK home

Although living in the UK can be a lot of fun, sometimes the fusty old British interior design scheme can leave a little to be desired. So for anyone who’s looking to update their interiors with a few Chinese themes, here are some ideas.

chinese interior tips for your home

3 Feng Shui Tips For Your Wardrobe

We all heard something about Feng Shui – the traditional Chinese philosophy that helps people take care of their life better. It works on many levels in our life, and it works on the premise that what is closest to you has the most impact on your physical and emotional health. And what can be closer to you than your clothing?

Today I am going to share some Feng Shui tips for your wardrobe. To use it or not – it is all up to you, but nothing will change if you won’t make an impact. So do your choices and let’s get to those tips right away.

3 feng shui tips for your wardrobe

Amoy Mid-Autumn Recipe

Tomorrow will be the Mid-Autumn festival where Chinese celebrate the fifteenth day of the eight lunar month – the Mooncake Festival. Last year, I explained the story behind this festival which you can read more here.

amoy mid autumn

Chinese Hungry Ghost Festival

The Chinese Hungry Ghost Festival is also known as Zhong Yuan Jie (中元节). In Chinese culture, especially in many Asian countries, the seventh month of the Chinese lunar calendar is regarded as the “Ghost Month”. It is believed that during this time, spirits and wandering souls — including deceased ancestors — are released from the lower realm (in Buddhist belief, the wheel of Samsara) to visit the living world for the entire month.

Chinese Hungry Ghost Festival culture

Dragon Boat Festival & Dumpling

This year Dragon Boat Festival falls on this coming Monday 2 June 2014 which is today!  There are a few versions of how the history came about.  For what I learnt at school it is about Qu Yuan.  He was a poet and minister (c. 340–278 BC) of the ancient state of Chu.  To cut the long story short, he committed suicide by drowning himself in the Miluo River.  The local people raced out to save him but was unable to do so.  So they dropped balls of sticky rice (dumpling) into the river so that the fish would eat them instead of Qu Yuan’s body.

Dragon Boat Festival and Dumpling

Chinese Wedding: Bridal Door Game

You might be wondering: what is a bridal door game? It is a series of games played when the groom arrives to pick up his bride on the wedding day. The bridesmaids give the groom and his group of “brothers” (best men/groomsmen) a list of tasks and challenges to complete before he is allowed to fetch his bride. Of course, they have to pass all the games first!

Chinese Wedding 5 Bridal Door Game

Chinese Wedding Page Boy / Small Uncle

Hope you have enjoyed my Chinese wedding series so far, where I have covered gifts, the tea ceremony, the hair combing ceremony, and Yue Lao. This week, I’m writing about the “small uncle” — known in English tradition as the page boy.

In a Chinese wedding, the “small uncle” has a much more important role than simply walking alongside the bride.

Chinese Wedding Page Boy Small Uncle

Chinese Wedding Yue Lao

Following my recent theme on Chinese traditions, I decided to write about Yue Lao, the god of marriage. Without him, there wouldn’t be any weddings. According to legend, Yue Lao appears as an old man under the moon. He is often compared to Cupid, but instead of a bow and arrow, he carries a red string. When he ties this red string around a couple, they are destined to fall in love and get married.

Yue Lao Singapore

Chinese Wedding: Hair Combing Ceremony

I’m back with more Chinese wedding posts! This week, I’m writing about the hair combing ceremony. Do check out my posts on the Chinese tea ceremony and wedding gifts if you missed them.

Why is the hair combing ceremony (梳头, shūtóu) important?

Chinese tradition believes that this ritual brings a long-lasting and harmonious marriage. Both the bride and groom will have their own hair combing ceremony.

Chinese Wedding Combing Hair Ceremony

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Hello!

Welcome to ET Speaks From Home!

Hi, I’m Eileen — a mum of two teenagers, aged 18 and 17, and a passionate lifestyle blogger sharing snippets of family life, creativity, and culture since May 2012. My daughter lives with visual impairment, and our journey together has shaped much of the heart behind this blog.

What started as a small space to document family memories has grown into a vibrant corner of the internet where I share my love for cooking, crafting, DIY projects, Chinese culture, parenting, and honest product and YouTube reviews. Whether I’m creating festive crafts, exploring Chinese traditions, or trying out new recipes, I hope to inspire others through everyday moments from home.

Over the years, ET Speaks From Home has been recognised by several parenting and blogging communities, including:

* Top 20 UK Parent Blogs (2020)
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* Tots100 Top 20 Vloggers (2016)
* Shortlisted for the BritMums Brilliance in Blogging Awards (BiBs), Video Category (2014)

Thank you for stopping by and being part of our journey. I hope you’ll find inspiration, useful tips, cultural insights, and a little joy here at ET Speaks From Home. Read More…

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