![]() ![]() ![]() Piling up one’s plate with dumplings looks like amassing a small mound of gold ingots. Besides being delicious, dumplings bear a striking resemblance to a kind of ancient Chinese currency. There is a recurring joke that Chinese holidays are just occasions to overindulge in this beloved food. This represents the phrase and wish that “ have a head and tail.” The expression indicates a desire that family members will achieve their goals and be disciplined in their work or studies in the coming year. As everyone eats, the tail and head should be kept intact, connected to the body of the fish. Later in the meal, another guest can show his or her respect for the family’s elder member by picking out the best morsel, the fish’s cheek, and placing it in the elder’s rice bowl. Family members wait until this person (typically the grandfather) takes the first bite of fish before tucking in themselves. The head of the fish should be pointed toward the head of the family, signaling deference and respect. My father-in-law Yulin likes to say the phrase and tap his teacup twice on the table, for added emphasis. The Mandarin word for “fish” is a homophone for the word “surplus.” When the fish arrives, guests will recite the Chinese expression “every year a surplus,” which sounds the same as “every year a fish.” It’s saying a wish aloud, a blessing for the year to come. Traditions vary, but here are seven dishes that families may serve at this meal, thought to bring good luck for the coming year.Ī whole fish should be on the table. The glass turntable is spun with precision to make sure the Jenga tower of food stays upright. Invariably there is too much food for the table, and dishes get stacked precariously on top of one another. The eldest son traditionally serves others throughout the meal, and it’s quite a feast. That elder should be given the best seat in the house, whether that is the comfiest chair or the best location. In families that observe classical social mores, like mine in Beijing, the eldest family member takes his or her seat first. Whole families reunite in a scene that is repeated millions of times over across the country-sons and daughters, grandparents and grandchildren, aunts and uncles, all coming together for this annual celebration. The main event of Spring Festival is the family meal, held on New Year’s Eve. Ever since I started dating (and later marrying) a local gemen’r (a “Beijing dude”), I’ve been thrown into the fray, too. For China’s 1.5 billion citizens and many Chinese communities around the world, the Spring Festival marks the beginning of the new year according to the traditional lunar calendar. ![]()
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