The Chinese New Year is the most significant traditional holiday in Chinese culture. Also known as the Lunar New Year, it marks the end of the winter and falls between January 21 and February 20.

1. Chinese New Year Recipes
The Chinese New Year is the most significant traditional holiday in Chinese
culture. Also known as the Lunar New Year, it marks the end of the winter and
falls between January 21 and February 20. Chinese families hold their reunion
dinner on the eve of Chinese New Year. A large feast composes this dinner.
Most of the dishes served are eaten for good luck, health, wealth and
happiness.
If you visit your country’s Chinatown at this time of the year, you’ll find an
abundance of ingredients for the reunion dinner. Mandarin oranges are
traditionally given as gifts and served on bowls at home during this time of the
year. Aside from its round size, its color signifies the affluence of gold. A whole
sea bass or grouper, steamed or lightly sautéed in a broth of ginger and soy
sauce, is a traditional centerpiece to be shared on the communal table. The
head and tail are often given to the oldest member sitting on the table.
Egg or flat rice noodles, stir-fried with
meat and vegetables, is a Chinese
New Year and special occasion dish
because its long strands mean
longevity and long life. The Chinese
noodle dish is usually dry, with just
enough sauce to coat and color the
whole dish. A traditional salad
tossing ceremony (commonly known
as the Yu-sheng good fortune salad)
is done by diners along with uttering
auspicious wishes, including the other name of the dish, “Lo Hei!” The dish is a
Teochew-style raw fish salad with carrots and other vegetables, shrimp crackers,
chopped peanuts, sauce and other ingredients that add up to 27. This is also
called the Prosperity Toss.
Other traditional Chinese New Year recipes include that of Peking duck, roasted
suckling pig, dimsum, winter melon soup, roasted seeds, taro and rice cakes. The
meats, glistening in their red and deep brown, crisp skins also signify luck. Ba bao
fan is a colorful sticky rice dessert decorated with eight sweet items like dates,
raisins, lotus seeds, and more. Bak wa (barbecued sweet meats
like pork, beef and chicken) are given as gifts to family, friends
and business contacts during Chinese New Year. Dragon dance
and outdoor fireworks complete the festive New Year, joined in by
the crowds who all hope for luck and more blessings.