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Every year, people around the globe celebrate Lunar New Year, also known as the Spring Festival in China or, more commonly, the Chinese New Year (via Cnet).Legend has it that at the beginning of each year, a monster by the name of Nian, the Chinese word for "year," would come and eat villagers. For the Chinese Lunar New Year, many people are eating foods that look like money, sound like good fortune and represent wholeness. Why it matters: "The Chinese believe that you have to have a Chinese New Year celebrations revolve around food and family Fish holds special symbolic importance and is integral to the traditional reunion dinner on New Year’s Eve The pronunciation of fish in Mandarin and Cantonese sounds like the words for “surplus” or “abundance”, so eating fish represents hopes for prosperity in the coming year. Culinary traditions during Chinese New Year often highlight fish as a centerpiece, showcasing its significance in symbolizing abundance. Serving a whole fish on New Year's Eve and New Year's Day embodies wishes for prosperity and wealth, aligning with the phrase "nian nian you yu." Here are some key culinary customs surrounding fish: The auspicious symbolism of these traditional Chinese New Year foods is based on their pronunciations or appearance. Not only do the dishes themselves matter, but also the preparation, and ways of serving and eating mean a lot. The most common Chinese New Year foods include dumplings, fish, spring rolls, and niangao. We've rounded up 12 Whole fish are among Lunar New Year's culinary staples, and part of the reason why lies in the presence of homophones in the Chinese language. Because the words 'fish' and 'abundance' share the same pronunciation in Mandarin, many Lunar New Year celebrations began to serve whole fish as a way to manifest incoming wealth in the coming year. The traditions of eating fish and dumplings during Chinese New Year have transcended time and borders, evolving in step with a changing world. In the contemporary Chinese New Year celebrations, these customs have not only endured but also adapted to accommodate shifting dietary preferences, globalization, and the demands of modern life. People will steam a whole fish for the New Year Eve’s dinner. Half of the fish is eaten for dinner, and the second half the next day. This is to prolong the surplus and make the future prosperous as well. A whole fish also represents a harmonious and whole family. Some people cook bighead carp but only eat the middle. In Chinese, the word for fish (yú) sounds like ‘surplus’ or ‘abundance.’ Serving a whole fish at the reunion dinner symbolises prosperity and the hope for a year of overflowing wealth. It’s customary to leave some of the fish uneaten to ensure ‘surplus’ carries into the next year. Dumplings (饺子, Jiǎozi) For Chinese people, Lunar New Year is the Spring Festival, Symbolizing prosperity, fish is a must for Lunar New Year. Fish (鱼, yu) is a homonym of 余 (yu), meaning surplus or extra. In An Yan, China program director for the Marine Stewardship Council, says that serving a whole fish at the New Year's Eve dinner has a special significance.A whole fish "reflects the idea of In China, fish is traditionally served for Lunar New Year because the Chinese word for fish is a homophone for the Chinese word for surplus, thus symbolizing wealth. Dumplings Caitriana Nicholson/Flickr. Resembling coin purses, dumplings are said to bring wealth and prosperity in Chinese culture. Traditionally filled with a mixture of meat, tofu, egg, and/or Both chickens and the fish are served complete, with the heads and tail left on to represents wholeness, and to signify a beginning and end, as a fresh year rolls around. The word fish in Chinese also rhymes with the word for surplus, so it is tradition to eat some of the fish on New Year’s Eve and then save half of it for the following day Chinese New Year’s Fish Feast. The Chinese New Year is a time of celebration and feasting, and fish is an essential part of the festivities. In Chinese culture, fish symbolizes abundance and prosperity, and eating it during the New Year is said to bring good luck and fortune for the year ahead. Eating fish during Chinese New Year is believed to bring surplus and abundance in the coming year. The Chinese word for fish, yu, sounds similar to the word for surplus, making it a popular choice for the celebration. Home Earth Continents Asia Thailand / China Chinese New Year Photos Chinese Customs and Traditions Glossary Food Symbolism ___ Food Symbolism during Chinese New Year Celebrations Chinese like playing with words and symbols. Often homonyms (words that share the same pronunciation but have different meanings) are gladly used. The Chinese New Year is also known as the Spring Festival. It is the biggest and most important festival in China and East Asian communities around the world. Now, let us know the do's and don'ts Killing should be avoided from the 1st to 15th of the Lunar New Year as blood is considered an ill omen, which will cause misfortunes such as a knife wound, or a bloody disaster. People usually kill chickens, ducks, pigs, and fish before Chinese New Year or on Chinese New Year's Eve. That's why you might see a whole fish served on Lunar New Year's eve. The word for fish in Chinese, yu, has the same pronunciation as the word for abundance, according to Zhu. Eating an entire
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