Tuesday, February 17, 2009Y
TRADITIONAL NEW YEAR FOOD...
-- Lotus seed - signify having many male offspring
-- Ginkgo nut - represents silver ingots
-- Black moss seaweed - is a homonym for exceeding in wealth
-- Dried bean curd is another homonym for fulfillment of wealth and happiness
-- Bamboo shoots - is a term which sounds like "wishing that everything would be well"
-- Fresh bean curd or tofu is not included as it is white and unlucky for New Year as the color signifies death and misfortune. -- Other foods include a whole fish, to represent togetherness and abundance, and a chicken for prosperity. The chicken must be presented with a head, tail and feet to symbolize completeness. Noodles should be uncut, as they represent long life.
3:51 PM
WHAT IS CHINESE NEW YEAR ABOUT?
Chinese New Year starts with the New Moon on the first day of the new year and ends on the full moon 15 days later. New Year's Eve and New Year's Day are celebrated as a family affair, a time of reunion and thanksgiving. The celebration was traditionally highlighted with a religious ceremony given in honor of Heaven and Earth, the gods of the household and the family ancestors. The sacrifice to the ancestors, the most vital of all the rituals, united the living members with those who had passed away. Departed relatives are remembered with great respect because they were responsible for laying the foundations for the fortune and glory of the family.
The presence of the ancestors is acknowledged on New Year's Eve with a dinner arranged for them at the family banquet table. The spirits of the ancestors, together with the living, celebrate the onset of the New Year as one great community. The communal feast called "surrounding the stove" or weilu. It symbolizes family unity and honors the past and present generations.
3:44 PM