The Best Chinese New Year Food

When ringing in the new year in traditional Chinese fashion, you have to consider the importance of Chinese New Year food as well. Food plays a huge part in such celebrations. The Chinese New Year is a particularly special one. It is one of the most important Chinese holidays. Sometimes called the Spring Festival, sometimes called the Lunar New Year, it takes place on the first day of the first lunar month, as denoted by the Chinese calendar. It ends on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month.

The neat thing about the Chinese New Year is that food, banquets of food is served for fifteen days straight until the new lunar moon, for that is when the Chinese New Year happens. Food is a huge part of this tradition. In the states, caterers are brought in and serve many, many people at all sorts of celebrations, but back in China, many of the families cook all of their own foods and cook for many, many people.

In some cases, foods are considered precursors of good fortune because of how they appear. A whole chicken, for instance, is a symbol of family togetherness. Thus, offering a whole chicken during the Chinese New Year festivities promises that the family will remain together throughout the coming year.

Another food item that is served during the Chinese New Year is noodles. Now, noodles are popular in Chinese culture in general, but there is a story behind the noodle. Noodles in Chinese culture can sometimes symbolize a long life line, so serving noodles at Chinese New Year is definitely a great idea. Whether you are serving noodle soup, a noodle side or anything else that has noodles in it, serving noodles for this fabulous holiday is a very traditional and great way to bring in the new year.

There are some other foods that are served at Chinese New Year. For instance, forebears, a citrus fruit is served usually because the name means luck and wealth. There are so many different food types that are served during this amazing time of year that can be based on just the name or pronunciation of the food.

Last but not least, all kinds of fish are important during Chinese New Year. One reason fish is served is because of the above explanation. "Yu," the word for fish in Chinese, sounds like the words for wish and abundance, thus symbolizing good fortune. As well, if you serve the fish with the head and tail included, then it is lucky. The head symbolizes a good beginning for the year; the tail symbolizes a good ending.