Article Surfing Archive

"Lucky" Chinese New Year symbols are an important part ofcelebrating the Spring Festival.

Afterall, it is the start of spring -- a perfect time tohave your New Year wishes come true!

And what better way to usher in happiness, prosperity andhealth than to enjoy "auspicious food" with family andfriends?

Here are the Top 8 auspicious food symbols for Chinese NewYear.

These delicious dishes are served during thereunion dinner on Chinese New Year's eve with familymembers.

For a comphrensive list and description of moreChinese New Year dishes and delicacies, visit:

http://www.living-chinese-symbols.com/chinese-new-year-symbols.html.

And if you'll like to do some cooking yourself, here aresome Chinese New Year recipes:

http://www.living-chinese-symbols.com/chinese-new-year-recipes.html

Top 8 Auspicious Food Symbols for Chinese NewYear

1. Hot Pot

A steaming hot pot (or chinese fondue) with meat, seafoodand vegetables) is a must.

Huo3 in hot pot huo3 guo3 火锅 is the same word as huo3 inhong2 huo3 红火 'prosperous and booming'.

2. Fish

Another must-have dish if you want to experience abundancein the new year.

Fish yu2 鱼 is the most popular dish served during ChineseNew Year.

In Chinese fish has the same sound as 'surplus' and'abundance' 余.

A whole fish is served on Chinese New Year's eve for thereunion dinner.

Usually the fish is steamed.

It is a good omen to leave the bones and head and tailintact.

This symbolizes surplus/abundance and a good beginning andend in the new year.

Best served whole.

3. Shrimp

Shrimp xia1 虾 in Mandarin and ha in Cantonese soundslike someone laughing.

Eat shrimp for happiness and well-being.

4. Boiled dumplings

A Chinese New Year tradition is eating boiled dumplings.

These are shaped like gold ingots.

Dumplings jiao3 zi 饺子 sounds like jiao1 zi3 交子whichmeans the hour of transition into the New Year.

Hence, in northern China, dumplings filled with meat areeaten on Chinese New Year's eve to usher in good luck andwealth in the New Year.

Sometimes a coin is placed in one of the dumplings. Whoeverbites on it will have plenty of wealth in the new year.

When dumplings and yellow noodles are cooked together theymean 'golden threads through gold ingots'.

In the eastern cities of China, like Shanghai, Hangzhou andSuzhou, egg dumplings are eaten as they look like goldingots.

5. Oyster

Hao2 sounds like hao3 shi4 好事 which means 'goodthings'.

In southern China, it is served with thin ricenoodles.

6. Green vegetables

For close family ties, serve some greens.

Qing1 cai4 青菜 sounds like qing1 亲 as in qin1 re 亲热 meaning 'close/intimate'

7. Sticky rice cake

Nian2 gao1 年糕.

Nian2 means year and cake gao1 sounds thesame as high gao1 高.

So eating this steamed cake made of rice flour and topped with red dates has the meaning of attaining greater prosperity and rank in the new year.

8. Noodles

Known as chang2 shou4 mian4 长寿面 meaning "longevity noodles".

A wish for good fortune -- Good Luck, Prosperity, Longevity, Happiness and Abundance -- is central to the Chinese way of life.

Even more so during Chinese New Year!

For a guide to auspicious Chinese symbols and the culture of Chinese characters, visit Living Chinese Symbols.