Symbolic Meanings of New Year's Eve Dinner Dishes Colorful Guizhou Network News (Compiled by this site) As the saying goes, no matter how much you work or argue, nothing compares to sharing a meal on New Year's Eve. According to Chinese folk tradition, the foods served during the New Year's Eve dinner carry significant meanings. Do you know what these dishes symbolize? Colorful Guizhou Network compiles the symbolic meanings of these dishes for you.
1. Dumplings: Attract Wealth and Treasure
Symbolism: In Chinese folklore, eating dumplings while staying up late on New Year's Eve is a grand feast that no other delicacies can replace. Also known as "Jiaozi" or "Jiao'er," dumplings symbolize the transition from old to new and embody the will of heaven, making them an essential dish for the feast.Eating dumplings carries the meaning of "passing the year and welcoming the new" ("更岁交子"). "子" (zi) refers to the "zi hour" (midnight), and "交" (jiao) sounds like "饺" (jiao, dumpling), symbolizing "joyful reunion" and "auspiciousness and good fortune." Additionally, because dumplings resemble ingots, eating them during the New Year also carries the auspicious meaning of "attracting wealth and treasures."
2. Fish: Abundance Year After Year
Symbolism: Rooted in the Chinese tradition of wishing for "abundance year after year" (鱼), fish is an essential dish for the New Year's Eve feast. Eating carp on New Year's Eve is auspicious because "carp" (鲤) sounds like "courtesy" (礼), signifying good fortune and honor.Eating crucian carp on New Year's Eve is auspicious because "crucian" (鲫) sounds like "auspicious" (吉). Eating both carp and crucian carp together during the New Year signifies great fortune. Eating silver carp on New Year's Eve is auspicious because "silver" (鲢) sounds like "continuous" (连), symbolizing continuous abundance year after year.In many regions, chicken is the first dish served during the New Year's Eve feast, symbolizing auspiciousness. A whole chicken must grace the table, embodying the belief that "prosperity begins with eating chicken."
4. Wontons: Grain-filled granaries
Eating wontons during the New Year signifies a fresh start.Legend has it that Pangu separated heaven and earth, allowing "the light and pure qi to rise and form the sky, while the heavy and turbid qi settled below to form the earth," ending the primordial chaos and creating the universe. Additionally, the word "wonton" (馄饨) sounds similar to "abundant grain stores" (浑囤), symbolizing a bountiful harvest.Long Noodles: A Century of Longevity
Also called longevity noodles, eating them during the New Year expresses wishes for a hundred years of life. In ancient times, all noodle dishes were called "bing" (cakes), so soup noodles were originally called "tangbing." The initial noodle pieces weren't rolled or pressed; instead, dough was torn by hand into pieces and dropped into the pot, similar to northern Chinese dishes like "crow's head" or "monkey ears."After the Tang Dynasty, rolling pins were used on wooden boards, leading to the gradual development of long noodles, short noodles, dry noodles, plain noodles, meat noodles, dried noodles...
6. Yuanxiao: Reunion and Unity
Also known as tangyuan, these are more common in southern China.Made by rolling glutinous rice into balls (often filled with various flavors), they are boiled in water, symbolizing family reunion. Yuanxiao are commonly served as breakfast or as the main dish during New Year's feasts, popular in both restaurants and homes.
7. Nian Gao (New Year Cake): Yearly Advancement
The custom of eating nian gao during Spring Festival originated in the Song Dynasty and flourished in the Ming Dynasty. Consuming nian gao evolved from the auspicious meaning of "yearly (sticky) advancement (cake)" to symbolize continuous upward progress.