At New Year, as during all Chinese festivals, food plays an important role, far beyond mere sustenance. Most of the elaborate dishes are prepared for their symbolism and to bring good luck to the assembled guests. For example, garlic chives (chiu-tsai) represent eternity; turnips (tsai-tou) a good omen. "Long year" vegetables symbolize intelligence, etc. And there is also the importance of numbers: fish balls (yu-wan) and meatballs symbolize reunion. They are always presented in pairs. Fish, shrimp and meatballs, once linked to the top rankings in civil service competitions in ancient China, today represent success in studies. To ensure good luck throughout the year, the Chinese also give a special name to each dish. For example, a dish made up of five elements of the same kind (meat or vegetables) might be called "the five blessings of the new year," referring to longevity, riches, peace, wisdom and virtue.

There may be a multitude of dishes prepared for Chinese New Year's dinner. Custom dictates that there be as many dishes as there are guests, with the diners serving themselves to their taste.

 Don't cut up the whole fish, which represents abundance. Fish (yu) means "we have enough." A whole chicken represents health. Chicken must be presented with its head, tail and feet on to indicate accomplishment. Noodles must not be cut for fear of reducing one's life expectancy.

 If you try "fa-kao," a kind of rice cake, look at the cracks - the wider they are, the more prosperous the new year will be, according to tradition.

Nian gao is originally from southern China. This sticky rice cake, steamed in lotus leaves, evokes a successful career and prosperity down the road. When eating these cakes, you are supposed to exchange wishes for a continually higher standard of living (it's a play on words based on the name of the cake which in Chinese is pronounced "gao," which also means "high," and "nian" (sticky) which also means "year."
In some regions, the first thing to be drunk at New Year is a cup of tea with lotus seeds, tea with sweet jujube served with watermelon seeds and sticky rice flour cakes. As you take a sip, you must say "tiantian mimi," meaning "life will be happy," and as you eat the cakes "bubu denggao," meaning "you will be promoted to a high position." Lotus seeds are also offered to married couples with the words "zaosheng guizi," or "you will soon give birth to a boy." The same day, filled sticky rice balls (tangyuan) are eaten for "tuantuan yuanyuan" so that all family members will be reunited and live in harmony.

 On New Year's Eve and New Year's Day, it is customary to eat dumplings, known as "jiaozi" in Chinese, which represent the progression of the years. They are filled and then boiled or steamed. In northern China they make "shui-chiao," shaping them like horseshoes, which is meant to bring riches to those who eat them. Plump half-moon shaped dumplings evoke "yuanbao," a 50 ounce silver ingot. Eating them is supposed to bring wealth and good luck.

Dumplings can contain a piece of sugar, a coin, a peanut or a chestnut, each signifying a different omen. Did you just bite into a sweet dumpling? Happiness will be knocking at your door. Did it contain a coin? Luck will smile on you. Is it stuffed with a chestnut? You'll soon have a boy. Is it filled with peanuts? That's a sign of longevity (in Chinese, peanuts are also called longevity fruit.)

 The box of candies that is traditionally given at New Years is round or octagonal and contains dazzling rows of candies to begin the New Year sweetly. These candies are given to friends and relatives during their visits. Custom dictates that once adults have taken a candy they place a red handkerchief in the middle compartment of the box. Each candied fruit is a sign of good luck:

• Melon: good growth and good health
• Red watermelon seeds: red symbolizes joy and happiness, truth and sincerity
• Lotus root: strong family ties
• Kumquat: prosperity. Kumquats are called "gam gat sue" in Chinese. The word "gam" is similar to the word for gold, and the word "gat" to that for luck. The tiny green leaves of this plant symbolize riches and the small fruits unity and perfection.
• Coconut: friendship
• Peanuts: longevity
• Longan: many good sons
• Lotus seeds: many children

As in Western countries, New Year is a time to receive guests. Red paper banners are hung everywhere, inscribed with wishes for happiness, success, longevity or joy. On the afternoon of New Year's day and the following two days, families go out to visit family and friends and sometimes even superiors, to offer good wishes and to "be the guest." A few members of the family stay home to receive their own guests to whom they offer sweets, cakes, tea and tobacco. Offering sweets is a way of expressing a wish for a sweet life and a year without troubles. Children who arrive offering wishes for happiness receive an orange in return for their greetings. The orange symbolizes happiness and longevity. Giving this fruit to children signifies "many more years to come."

At New Year, families usually eat a vegetarian dish called "jai." Although this dish is made up only of roots and vegetables, the symbolism remains important:

• lotus seeds: represent an abundance of male offspring
• black seaweed: homonyms of abundance and wealth
• bamboo shoots: a term that sounds like "everything happens in the best of worlds"

Part Two: The festivities continue until the fifteenth day of the first lunar month

Recipes

> Nian Gao with One Hundred Fruits - Sticky Rice Cake for new year
> Chinese longetivity noodle
> Click here for more Chinese Recipes