The Year of the Dragon begins this week with the celebrations of the Chinese New Year. It is the biggest festival in the Eastern Hemisphere, celebrated from Korea to Vietnam, with celebrations lasting for 16 days. The Chinese New Year, also known as the Spring Festival, marks the end of the coldest days and the beginning of harvests and planting season. It is determined by the lunar calendar and falls on the second new moon of the year, which is 10th February 2024, Saturday.
As the regions have been agrarian societies for ages, it has been regarded as a ceremonial time to pray to gods for a good harvest and planting season. People also pray and place offerings in the family shrines, as the ancestors were treated as equals to gods.
How to Wish a Happy New Year in Chinese
新 年 快 乐
Xīn nián kuài lè!
Legends and Fireworks
According to legend, there was a mythical beast called Nián that lived at the bottom of the sea. On the evening before the Lunar New Year, Nián ascends from the waters to terrorize the lands, ravage villages and feast on animals and people. All the people of the land would take temporary shelter from the beast in the mountains. One boy was brave enough to face the beast and turned him away from the villages by using firecrackers. The next day, people celebrated their survival by setting off all of their stores of firecrackers.
Ever since then, firecrackers have been set off on Lunar New Year in the spirit of warding off bad luck and ill omens. On this night, the highest number of fireworks are set off across the world!
Family Feast at the Chinese New Year
Family is one of the core beliefs in Chinese culture and the Chinese New Year is a time for family reunions. Everyone travels back home to spend time with their families. The night of New Year's Eve is a feast where the entire family is expected. Even the family members who could not make the journey back home, have their spaces at the table reserved along with a set of tableware to believe that they are present in spirit.
While every region has their unique dishes, there are a few traditional dishes that appear on every Chinese family's table.
Spring Rolls are a must for the Chinese New Year
The first day of the spring season is the prime time to eat spring rolls, one of the most popular dishes in Chinese cuisine. They are an important part of festivities whether served as a snack, appetizer or at the dinner table. While the name spring rolls are globally associated with the fried version, they are popularly steamed or baked in China and are found in various shapes and sizes from the classic thin cylindrical rolls to large and flat round ones.
Spring roll sheets are typically made of flour, water and some salt, and rolled thin. The filling can be a mix of any choice of meat, vegetables and seasoning but traditionally consists of pork, Chinese cabbage, shiitake mushrooms, carrots and seasoning.
Making Dumplings for the Chinese New Year
Another popular dish in Chinese cuisine is dumplings. They are a quintessential part of every special occasion in China, especially the Chinese New Year. As the time of the new year is focused on fortune and good luck, the dumplings are shaped like ancient Chinese silver and gold ingots. It is said that while wrapping dumplings, you are wrapping in the fortune. And after eating them, you are believed to have a prosperous year ahead. Some people also put a coin in one random dumpling and it is said that whoever finds that coin in their dumpling will have great luck that year.
Wrapping dumplings is also a family tradition. It is a time for bonding with the family and every member participates in wrapping the dumplings. In many regions, the newly married daughter-in-law has to make a perfectly shaped dumpling to be considered a part of the family.
Just like spring rolls, a dumpling wrapper is made of flour, water and salt and the filling combinations vary from region to region. The most common filling is Chinese cabbage and green onion along with pork or shrimp.
The tradition of Fish at the Chinese New Year
A whole fish is a must at every Chinese family dinner on New Year. The Chinese word for fish has the same pronunciation as the Chinese word for surplus which has made fish a symbol of surplus and wealth. Half of the fish is eaten for dinner, and the second half is eaten on the next day. The idea behind it is to prolong the surplus and make the future prosperous as well.
While most commonly steamed, the fish may also be broiled or baked and topped with red peppers and spring onion.
Nian Gao
The sweet rice cakes known as Nian Gao are must-haves during the Chinese New Year celebrations. In ancient times, nian gao were used as the main offerings to the ancestors and gods. Over time, it became a traditional dessert on the family table during the Spring Festival. It is a simple steamed dessert made of glutinous rice flour and sugar.
Nian Gao is usually associated with higher income, higher position, and growth of children, and is considered a promise for a good year.
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