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fear of the colour red and firecrackers
against him by hanging red lanterns
everywhere and setting off fireworks. This
tradition soon turned into a celebration
and it has been going on ever since.
Moon determines the date
Even though, we know that Chinese New
Year is usually celebrated in the month of
February, there is no actual fixed date. The
date is determined based on the changes
of the moon. The first new moon of the
year signifies the start of the Chinese year
and thus marks the time of celebration.
Food, glorious food!
There is lots of food during the celebra-
tions. Numerous meals, copious amounts
of dishes, a bounty of meals. It’s a prosper-
ous time to be prosperous! Because the
NewYear is such a traditional celebration,
many dishes served during this time of the
year have symbolic meanings.
Not only do the dishes themselves
matter, but also the prepwork and serving
methods mean a lot. Some common food
items you will see on the tables include
dishes cooked with fish. In Chinese, fish
sounds like the word surplus, implying
that themore you eat these scaly creatures
they more you’ll gain in the following
year.
Another favourite would be the Chi-
nese dumplings, which can be made to
look like little boats of pure goodness.
Legend has it that the more dumplings
you eat during the celebration, the more
moolah
you’ll be raking in during the
New Year. You don’t need a better reason
for stuffing yourself with minced meat
pockets than the prospect of becoming
the next billionaire.
Other common dishes you are sure to
be munching on would include spring
rolls; which are said to bring you lots of
prosperity because of their golden brown
shells, the
nian gao
(sticky rice cake)
which means “getting higher year by
year” and longevity noodles symbolising
longevity, unsurprisingly!
Nian Gao
(sticky rice cake)
Paying your respects to the elderly
is a must during this season.