Saturday, January 16, 2010

Symbolic Nature Of The Asian New Year Food

By John Chan

Do you want to find out the menu that is prepared for the feasting during the New Year season's celebrations? Come let us get information on it.

Food is an important segment of the (entire|whole) Chinese New Year celebrations as the Chinese people are quite serious about their feeding habits. The Chinese people put the food part of the celebrations on the highest priority level and hence it plays a central role during the festival undoubtedly.

Generally, during this time of the New Year celebrations, ordinary food is not served. The food served is believed to be food of good fortune and this food service goes on for two weeks after the New Year begins. It is known as the Spring Festival because New Year falls during the season of spring with reference to the lunar calendar.

The cuisine set for the New Year celebrations consists no ordinary food and has some sort of symbolical meaning taggedto it as Chinese people believe in symbolism. A full chicken that is eaten as a must during New Years feasts, represents togetherness of family. All dishes eaten during this time have some symbolism or the other and are considered to be lucky food.

One of the standard practice of the Chinese people is serving noodles as a part of the festive food during the New Year celebrations. Noodles symbolize longevity. They also believe that if the noodles are cut, it brings bad fortune and hence they use uncut noodles.

Clams and spring rolls are other food items that are offered during this New Year festival. They are quite delicious with a moith watering taste and also they symbolize prosperity. The clams derive their symbolism from their bouillon shape and spring rolls derive it from their gold bar shape.

There is also a scientific approach to the choice of food that is selected to be a lucky food to be served during the New Year's season and this depends on the way the particular food sounds. For example lettuce when pronounced in the Chinese lingo sounds like increasing fortune. thus all lucky food is commonly covered in lettuce leaves while being served during the New Years.

Fruits that are available in plenty during the spring time also falls under the categoryof symbolic food that is served during the New Year festival. Two of the most important fruits that are eaten at this festive time are oranges and tangerines. This is because when they are pronounced in Chinese, they sound like prosperity and fortune. Another fruit that plays a significant role in Chinese New Year foods is grapefruit and it is a symbol of abundance.

Prettysurprisingly, fish is related to wish as it sounds to the Chinese and it is one of the central food items served during the occasion of New Year. Chinese supper during the Eve of New Year always concludes with the eating of a whole fish as it symbolizes abundance and togetherness.

Sweets and steamed cakes like sticky rice cakes are also served during the New Year time and message that it shares is that people can seek for good things to come with the advancement of a New Year.

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