New Year
Happy Lunar New Year!Food is such a symbolic, important thing during the New Year (and all the time!) and although i'm no expert, here's some things i know regarding Chinese food:
Some people are vegetarian for religious reasons during the New Year, or because you're not supposed to use sharp things or kill animals during the new moon of the new year. "Buddhists' Delight" is usually eaten, since it contains black seaweed, tree ears, black mushrooms, dried bean curd and a host of other items that are symbolic; it's nothing like the "Buddhists' Delight" at your local restaurant, which is usually a fresh vegetable stir fry.
You're supposed to have long noodles to symbolize a long life, dumplings since they resemble gold nuggets or money bags, and a long list of other items since they sound similar to good words. At meal times, an even number of dishes, preferably 8, signifies "double-ness." As for "wholeness" or "togetherness," if you serve meat it must be whole - head, feet and all parts left on.
Some shops sell a tray assortment of sweet dried fruits, nuts and seeds, all which have meaning too. I know pumpkin seeds means "lots of sons" and generally sweet things mean a sweet life. A New Year's cake made of dates, glutinous rice and brown sugar is served too. Oranges and tangerines, especially if they have nice leaves attached, are given as gifts when visiting friends and family.
Growing up, we adhered to some of the food rules, but most importantly we had to be good and not fight, cry or yell on New Year's Day. We didn't really adhere to the cleaning/new clothes/paying debts rules. Upon waking up, my siblings and i received red envelopes of money from our parents and relatives. Being that this Lunar New Year isn't a national holiday or anything, we usually had to go to school (we envied the Chinese kids who got to stay home) but family-time (dinner) reconvened afterwards.
Tonight be and i aren't really doing anything, but on Sunday i plan to have dim sum if anyone's interested in joining us!
posted by beXn @ 11:48 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home