Legend has it that the animals for the Chinese zodiac were chosen long long ago when the Emperor of Heaven decided there should be a way to measure time. Thus, on his birthday, he announced that all the animals of the kingdom that there would be a race taking place. For the first 12 animals to make it to the finish line, they would each have a designated year of the zodiac named after them, starting with the rat and ending with the pig. Some believe that you inherit the personality traits and demeanor of the animal year you were born in, and many also follow that the happenings of each year is influenced by the animal of that particular year. The Year of the Rabbit, beginning on February 3rd 2011, is predicted to be a peaceful, quiet and positive year where personal development, family ties, friendships, and love lives will be strengthened. Here’s hoping that this prediction rings true for 2011!
Chinese New Year or Spring Festival (symbolizes the end of winter and beginning of spring as farmers begin to plant for the coming harvest) is one of the most important Chinese holidays celebrated. Chinese New Years falls on a different date each year, as the Chinese calendar is based on a combination of the solar and lunar calendar (i.e. very complex astronomical calculations): the day the second new moon rises after the winter solstice. Unlike North American New Years, Chinese New Year festivities go on for 15 days ending with the much anticipated Lantern Festival.
Today (February 2nd), is Chinese New Year’s Eve, a day where all family members come together for the annual feast or chu xi (reunion dinner) to give thanks for the year and prepare for a prosperous New Year. All the dishes served during Chu Xi are meaningful and usually eight dishes, which symbolizes prosperity, are served. They caution that only an even number of dishes are made in order to ensure that the family experiences “double happiness”.
I usually do not partake in this momentous feast since CNYE always happens to fall smack in the middle of midterms or during a busy work week, but here are some things that I will be missing tonight (my parents aren’t too in touch with traditions, and are fluttering their way through San Francisco as we speak, so they really cannot fault me for not coming home).
Dumplings – Growing up, my whole family would gather together during the afternoon and make dumplings from scratch. My dad would roll out the dough, while my mom, grandmother, and myself would wrap various fillings (e.g pork and chives, cabbage and shrimp) into the dough. Dumplings, which are shaped like ancient Chinese currency, are eaten in the midnight hours of CNYE because they represent bringing prosperity and good luck into the upcoming year. Last year, my girlfriends and I set up shop in my tiny apartment and carried out this beautiful tradition, although we did cheat and bought the dumpling shells pre made. Maybe next year we will be more ambitious.
Sticky Cake or Nian Gao – This delicious sticky cake made from glutinous rice and is extremely popular during Chinese New Year. The Chinese word “Nian” which literally means sticky, has the same sound as the word “Year”, and “Gao” meaning cake, sounds like the word for “high”. Therefore, by eating sticky cake, it symbolically means that you will be raising yourself higher in all aspects of life the coming year. Nian Gao can be made either sweet with red bean or lotus paste, or savory when stir fried with meats, onions, and vegetables. Nian Gao is very chewy, has a texture similar to Mochi (which I also love), and is one of my favorite CNY foods! Eat it while it’s hot though since the cake does tend to gets to get tougher/ less appetizing once it’s cooled.
Lettuce Wraps – More common in Cantonese culture, spicy diced chicken or pan fried minced pork, are often eaten wrapped in lettuce. Symbolically, the word for lettuce sounds similar to the words “growing good fortunes”, so you will most definitely see some type of dish featuring lettuce at your CNYE celebration.
Whole Steamed Fish – Steamed fish is a popular Chinese dish that you will see on the menu of any restaurant. Usually, the steamed fish are fish with soft white meat such as carp (most common in China), tilapia, halibut, sole, grouper, etc. The fish is very fresh (think just out of the tank alive 30 minutes ago…) and topped with soy sauce, ginger, and scallions. Simple yet delicious. This dish is more important during CNY because it represents surplus and abundance because of the sound of the word for “fish”. To add more meaning, the fish is served whole (head, tail, you name it) to emphasize a good beginning and a good end to the year, and is usually served towards the end of the meal. Not all of the fish is consumed New Years Eve, since leftovers are expected to be eaten on New Years Day, signalling that the family will have abundance from the previous year brought into the new year.
Longevity Noodles - A variety of noodle possibilities are served during the Chinese New Year Celebrations. Noodles symbolize long life, which is also why noodles on your birthday is especially important. Chinese superstitions warn against cutting your noodles as this could represent cutting your life short. So eat really long noodles!
Whole Chicken – Again, like the fish, the chicken is presented as a whole including head, tail, and feet. This represents completeness as well as prosperity.
Happy Chinese New Years Food Trotter’s! Gong Hey Fat Choy, Gong Xi Fa Cai — wishing you a prosperous new year! Just remember to avoid sweeping the floor or cleaning and washing your hair on New Years Day… you don’t want all your luck to be swept or washed away. Have a fantabulous Year of the Rabbit!
[photos courtesy of ulterior epicure, chinesenewyear, globalveggie, koreanpress]
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