The Implication of New Year Dishes

Thursday, January 12, 2023

The most important meaning of the Chinese New Year is to reunite with family. When people get together, the table will also be filled with rich new year dishes, which have special significance.

jiǎo zi

饺   子  dumplings

Dumplings are indispensable on the reunion table. It looks like a treasure. It symbolizes "Attracting Wealth and treasure".  In Some traditional customs, people usually wrap a coin in dumplings. People who eat dumplings with coins will have everything going well and make a fortune in the new year.

dumplings, 饺子, jiao zi

nián ɡāo

年   糕  New Year Cake

"Cake" is a homonym for "high". Eating New Year cake means people will get promotion step by step.

New year cake, 年糕, nian gao

鱼  fish

"Fish" is a homonym for "surplus". Eating fish means people have a surplus year after year.

fish, 鱼, yu

鸡 chicken

"Chicken" is a homonym for "Ji". Eating chicken means good luck.

chicken, 鸡, ji

shàn yú

鳝   鱼  eel

A good beginning and a good ending. Sitting at the same table with a chicken also means that a dragon and a phoenix are auspicious 

eel, 鳝鱼, shan yu

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