Chinese Lunar New Year(2)

NEW YEAR EATS

Dishes served during the Spring Festival often carry symbolic meaning.

In northern China, dumplings are an indispensable dish for New Year's dinner. Many believe eating dumplings will bring fortune, because the food resembles "yuan bao," a boat-shaped gold ingot that was used as currency in centuries past.

Although most dumplings are filled with vegetables, meat or fish, some families put special items, most often coins, in one of their dumplings when they are preparing their meal. The person who finds the "special dumpling" is believed to have good luck for the whole year.

In southern China, where most people prefer rice to wheat, families eat glutinous rice cakes instead of dumplings for New Year's dinner. These cakes are also symbols of a prosperous new year.

Fish and leeks are also common, as their names sound like "abundance" and "longevity," respectively.

Nowadays, the large dinners prepared during the festival feature less symbolism and are seen more as an occasion for family reunions, especially for those who live and work away from home and return once a year for the festival.

LUCKY MONEY

Children are especially fond of the Spring Festival because they know it will bring them gifts in the form of red envelopes stuffed with "lucky" money, presented by parents, grandparents and other relatives.

The custom is intended to convey greetings and protect children from bad luck during the new year. The amount given can range from 50 yuan (8 U.S. dollars) to several thousand yuan, but the money must be given in an amount that ends with an even number.

It can be given in exchange for a child's new year greetings, or be stuck under the child's pillow during the night.