When it is time for the traditional Chinese Spring Festival in each year, China will experience of the “spring transportation” and the “shopping booming”. The reunion dinner contributes part of these. As the New Year is great time for family reunion, and there is usually a reunion dinner for members of the family, no matter you are near or far, people are hurrying to go back home to enjoy the reunion dinner. It is the dinner at the New Year’s Eve.

The reunion dinner is considered as the most sumptuous dinner in a year, and it is full of symbolic meanings. Chicken and fish are necessary. But fish shouldn’t be eaten, because there is a very popular Chinese saying that goes, “nian nian you yu” (may there be surplus every year), “yu” in Chinese can mean fish, also the pronunciation for “savings” is also “yu”. So if you eat up the fish means you have for saving at all. Most Northerners eat jiaozi, or dumplings, as the main dish in the festive season and many Chinese around the world do the same. It is believed that the shape of dumplings resemble ancient Chinese gold or silver ingots.

Everyone, even the kids, drinks a little “jiu” (usually hard liquor), which symbolizes longevity since “jiu” has the same pronunciation as “longevity” (jiu) in the Chinese language.

Learn Chinese language. You are welcome to study Chinese in China during the Spring Festival and experience how Chinese peopel celebrate the Chinese New Year.