This year, Chinese New Year – also known as Spring Festival, falls on Saturday 28th January, with celebrations starting the evening before, and lasting for fifteen days. So, with Chinese New Year almost upon us, it’s time to get ready to celebrate the Year of the Rooster. And what better way to celebrate than getting together with family or friends and enjoying some traditional Chinese foods? Below are just some of the traditional ‘lucky’ foods that you can enjoy throughout the celebrations…
1. Dumplings
Traditionally, families gather together on New Year’s Eve to make dumplings together and then they are enjoyed as the New Year is welcomed in. Because their shape is similar to that of ancient silver or gold ingots, the dumplings symbolise wealth. It’s believed that the more dumplings you eat during the celebrations, the more money you’ll make in the New Year.
2. Spring Rolls
The name Spring Rolls originates from the fact that these meat or vegetable filled rolls are eaten during the Spring Festival. Similar in shape to the dumplings, they also symbolise wealth for the coming year.
3. Fish
The word ‘fish’ in Chinese sounds like ‘surplus’. And because Chinese people like to have a surplus at the end of the year, fish is traditionally served on the eve of the New Year. The fish symbolises prosperity; with the idea being that if they have a surplus this year, then they can make even more in the next year.
4. Longevity Noodles
Longevity noodles are longer than normal noodles that are served and they should be eaten as they come – and not cut or shortened. As the name suggests, these noodles symbolise a long life.
5. Tangyuan
Although Tangyuan is the main food for the Chinese Lantern Festival, these sweet rice balls – made from glutinous rice flour and mixed with water, have become a popular dish to be served during the Chinese New Year celebrations. The Tangyuan’s rounded shape, as well as the Chinese pronunciation of the food, symbolise family togetherness and reunion.
These are just five of the many tasty and lucky foods you can enjoy with your friends, family and fellow residents this Chinese New Year. And who knows what the New Year will bring…
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