Chinese New Year - China

The Chinese New Year, or Spring Festival as it’s been called since the 20th century, continues to be a significant social and economic holiday in China.  According to the History Channel, it was a time to “honor household and heavenly deities as well as ancestors.”  It was also a time to bring family together for a special feast.  China celebrates Chinese New Year though in a briefer version also known as the Spring Festival. Younger generations of Chinese presently celebrate the holiday in different ways from their ancestors. 

According to the History Channel, the ancient Chinese calendar, on which the Chinese New Year is based, functioned as a religious, dynastic and social guide. The calendar’s structure “wasn't static: it was reset according to which emperor held power and varied in use according to region.”  The new Chinese parameters were made corresponding to the lunar phases, solar solstices and equinoxes.  Each New Year was observed by the characteristics of one of the twelve zodiacal animals: “the rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, sheep, monkey, rooster, dog and pig.”  According to the History Channel, the Chinese New Year period began in the middle of the 12th month and ended around the middle of the first month. The New Year period was traditionally divided into New Year’s Eve and the first days of the New Year.

  

Chinese New Year in China and the Zodiac calendar

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New Year is one of most significant festivals on the calendar.  The History Channel states that during this time, business life came nearly to a stop and home was the principal focuses.  Cleaning was done to please the gods who would be coming down from heaven to make inspections and “ritual sacrifices of food and paper icons were offered to gods and ancestors.”  People also set off firecrackers to frighten evil spirits. History Channel also stated that elders gave out money to children.  The practices were done to “bring good luck to the household and long life to the family–particularly to the parents.”

The most important part was the feast.  On New Year’s Eve, the extended family would gather for a meal and enjoy a variety of symbolic foods.  According to Stephanie Butler, a writer for the History Channel, pot-stickers and spring rolls were shaped to resemble gold and silver bars to bring wealth in the year ahead.  

According to Butler, peanuts and noodles were said to bring long life, and noodles were to be made as long as possible to ensure a long life. Bok choy and mustard, served whole, were to wish long lives to parents.  Butler also stated that citrus fruits are said to bring “wealth, luck and status.” 

Meat such as fish, chicken, duck and crab are cooked and served whole at New Years to “ensure wholeness and balance.”  Butler also said sticky rice cakes were filled with peanuts and sesame seeds; that bring luck.  The many layers in flaky pastries like egg custard tarts “symbolize rising abundance in the year to come, while their round shape brings family reunion.” 

  

Potstickers and Eggrolls

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Bok Choy, Long-Life Noodles, and Fish 

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Tangerines, Custard Tarts, and Rice Cakes

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To learn more about how it is celebrated, visit:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=asluM20g6rk

Come back next week to learn about another countries' holiday and related recipes! 

Works Cited

Butler, S. Hungry History: Symbolic Foods Of Chinese New Year. (2014, January 30). History.com. A&E Television Networks, LLC. Retrieved February 1, 2015. 

History.com Staff. Chinese New Year. (2010). History.com. A&E Television Networks, LLC. Retrieved February 1, 2015.