![]() Cutting or breaking the noodles is seen to symbolize cutting your lifespan short. They can be served fried, boiled, or as part of a soup. Long noodles symbolize longevity and happiness. Some believe eating a lot of them will lead to wealth in the new year (which sounds like a great excuse to eat more dumplings). dumplingsĭumplings symbolize wealth because they look like little Chinese-style gold ingots (or like little purses). Thanks to this, eating seafood is believed to symbolize a bountiful new year. In some Chinese dialects, the word for fish (鱼 or yú) is a homophone with the word for surplus (余, also yú). Some traditional foods have symbolic meanings: fishįish is the centerpiece of many New Year’s feasts. What would family gatherings be without loads of food? But it’s considered bad luck to touch knives during the New Year’s season, so a lot of families take time to prep and store food ahead of time. Of course, as soon as you get through the door all your relatives will ask, “你食飯未呀” (“Have you eaten yet?”). So you live in San Francisco, but your family’s in New York? Have fun on your road trip! ![]() Many people travel far and wide to visit all of their family in the new year. These gatherings are the highlight of the season. What do people eat during Lunar New Year?ĭuring the Lunar New Year, families get together to eat lucky foods, exchange gifts, and bond with one another. Read about some of the words that come from Mandarin and Cantonese. Some believe that ancestral spirits help bring good fortune in the new year. It’s a chance to touch base with your ancestors and remember them fondly. It’s bad luck to visit a cemetery during the New Year’s celebration because it’s ill-advised to mix interactions with death and celebrations of life. It’s also important to visit your family’s gravesites before the new year. Clear away all the lingering bad luck of the old year, making room for the good luck of the new year. You can do this by giving your entire home a good deep cleaning and settling your debts and grudges. ![]() The general spirit of this preparation is to clean away the residue of the old year and start fresh, personally and financially. There’s a lot to do leading up to the holiday. How do people prepare for Lunar New Year? While you may be familiar with Lunar New Year parades on TV, did you know the holiday encompasses a wide variety of unique traditions-from gifts exchanged to lucky fruit? Here’s a quick look at some of the things that happen behind the scenes. Because it’s based on the Chinese lunisolar calendar, it’s also often called Chinese New Year. ![]() One of the biggest holidays in East Asia, the Lunar New Year will fall on January 22 in 2023. It's not just the decorations that require thorough planning.Ī days-long feast is also carefully curated.įor several days - starting on their New Year's Eve - people indulge in food with symbolic meaning, either based on appearance or word association.ĭumplings and spring rolls, for instance, represent wealth because they are thought to resemble silver ingots and gold bars.For millions of Asian Americans and Asian peoples around the world, the Lunar New Year is a time to gather with family, start the year off right, and eat a lot of delicious food. The animals of the Chinese zodiac symbolise a deep connection with that nation’s ancient cultural heritage, each one holding a unique place in Chinese history, mythology and customs. Rat, ox/buffalo, tiger, rabbit/cat, dragon, snake, horse, goat, monkey, rooster, dog and pig. There are 12 animals following a repeating, 12-year cycle and they go by the following order: While customs, rituals and the length of celebrations vary, one thing stays true: honouring a fresh start. Koreans and Vietnamese also revel in new year festivities as they celebrate Seollal and Tết, respectively. To Chinese, Koreans, Taiwanese and those living in Hong Kong, the year is the Year of the Rabbit. To the Vietnamese, for example, this Lunar New Year will welcome the Year of the Cat. Although some traditions are shared, others are unique to each country's cultural identity. Lunar New Year is celebrated in many other Asian countries, including Vietnam, the Koreas, Singapore, Indonesia and Malaysia.
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