Dinner on the New Year's Eve

As the saying goes, "food is still the stuff of life" and folk culture and food culture have blended with each other for thousands of years. The New Year’s Eve dinner used to be part of year-end rituals in ancient China, and is now the most abundant and important dinner at the end of the year. In the New Year’s Eve meal are our wishes for the coming year and expectations for a better life.

Popular New Year's Eve dishes

Dumplings

With a history of more than 1,800 years, dumplings are a classic Chinese food, and a traditional dish eaten on Chinese New Year's Eve, widely popular in China, especially in North China.

Chinese dumplings can be made to look like Chinese silver ingots (which are not bars, but boat-shaped, oval, and turned up at the two ends). Legend has it that the more dumplings you eat during the New Year celebrations, the more money you can make in the New Year.

Chinese rice pudding

Chinese rice pudding, also known as "eight-treasure rice pudding", is a famous traditional banquet dessert. Eight is a lucky number in Chinese culture, hence the name. It is more a dessert than a dish, implying family reunion and happy life.

Steamed fish  

Fish, especially steamed fish, is a staple at a New Year's Eve dinner in China. In Chinese, the word 'fish' sounds like a 'surplus'. So if you eat fish, it is believed that you are expecting a fruitful and wealthy year.

Eight Dishes

The Eight Dishes, as its name suggests, are eight different dishes placed in big bowls. The Eight Dishes vary greatly according to different regions. In some places, they are pork-based seven meat and one vegetable, and in others are four meat and four vegetarians. No matter what dishes they are, it's a hardcore dish on the New Year's Eve dinner.

When we cannot have New Year's Eve dinner with all families and friends, making a video call and sharing our dishes and happiness online will also provide a unique emotional connection during this Spring Festival. 

Though miles apart, we’ll share the wonderful moment. What matters about New Year's Eve dinner is actually the cheer, affection, love, and care of family.