恭賀新禧!

2014 Chinese Spring Festival falls on January 31. The important Chinese holiday is celebrated January 31 to February 6, 2014. It is the Year of the Horse according to the Chinese Zodiac.

Sister Lloyd and her companion celebrated the Lunar New Year with a recent Chinese convert. Their celebrations included: 

prawns for happiness, sweet red bean soup for a sweet year, soft shell crab for a smooth and energetic year, mandarin oranges for abundance and health, dumplings for wealth and good fortune and red envelopes containing money!

Chinese New Year celebrations mark a new beginning. Tradition calls for a clean sweep: Houses are aired out to get rid of last year’s bad luck, and they are decorated in red, which symbolizes good luck and fortune. Family members gather to give children red envelopes full of money for good luck.  

And then there’s the food.  Almost everything eaten during the celebration is intended to promote wealth, happiness and longevity.

One traditional dish is uncut noodles, which are longer because they are supposed to promote longevity and a happy life.

Another must-have dish is dumplings, supposed to promote wealth in the upcoming year because their moon shape resembles old forms of Chinese currency. Most are savory, but some have added sugar for a sweet life.  Others are stuffed with coins for extra luck for the ones who discover them.

Clams, too, are considered lucky because of their moon-like shape. Also served is a whole quail or chicken, which suggests unity and family togetherness, and whole fish, which in Chinese sounds like the word abundance. It is served with the head and tail still attached to promote a good beginning of the year and a good ending of the year. Pan-fried and served with green onions and soy sauce, it’s a favorite of Chinese and Westerners alike.

And then there’s the five-vegetable stir fry.

The five blessings [of the New Year] are longevity, riches, peace, wisdom and virtue.

Mandarin oranges are popular, both as gifts and for display during New Year celebrations, because they are considered symbols of good fortune and abundance. Their golden color symbolizes money and fortune in the coming year.

Even the Minions Celebrated the Year of the Horse!

Lettuce also makes an appearance, as it symbolizes prosperity and a fresh start. The Chinese word for lettuce sounds like wealth, and in a traditional Chinese New Year lion dance, people hold out lettuce leaves tied to red envelopes containing money for a lion to “eat.”  The lion grabs the packets and scatters the lettuce — spreading good luck.