In China, dinner on the lunar New-Year’s Eve is the happiest occasion of the Spring Festival.

At the family dinner, luxurious dinners are served and people sit around the table to enjoy a family reunion. People not only enjoy the delicacies, but also the merry atmosphere. The dinner includes main courses, cold dishes and desserts. Two dished are musts, one being the hotpot, and the other being fish. The steaming hotpot is a sign of prosperity. Chicken and fish are always necessary, for they have the same pronunciations as “ji(good luck) and “yu(anundance)” respectively. Turnip is called “caitou” in Chinese, which shares the same pronunciation with “a happy omen”. Fried food such as lobsters and fish stands for the wish of flourishing good fortune of the family. Mutton is served in north China as a symbol of fortune and peace. Hair weed is served in the southern province of Gaungdong because it has the pronunciation of “making a fortune”. The last course is a dessert, as wish for sweet life.

Everyone drinks spirits on that day. The nondrinkers are no exception. In ancient time, drinking spirits was a popular custom for the Chinese New Year, but many ancient spirits have been lost in time.

Dinners on the lunar New Year’s Eve vary among regions. People in the north and south have different foods, like “jiaozi”, wonton, and longevity noodles and so on.

If you have ever studied Chinese at Keats School during the Spring Festival (we are not closed during the Spring Festival), the school will prepare all kinds of food, such as dumplings, longevity noodles, fish, chicken, etc. for our students to let them experience how Chinese people celebrate the Chinese New Year.