What is the origin of jiaozi and the significance of eating jiaozi in Chinese New Year?

Origin: jiaozi evolved from wonton. In its long development process, there are many names, such as "prison pill", "flat food", "dumpling bait" and "powder horn" in ancient times. It was called "Crescent Wonton" in the Three Kingdoms period, "Wonton" in the Northern and Southern Dynasties, "Crescent Wonton" in the Tang Dynasty, "jiaozi" in the Song Dynasty and "Flat Food" in the Ming and Yuan Dynasties. The Qing Dynasty called it "Jiaozi". Jiaozi originated in the Eastern Han Dynasty and was initiated by Zhang Zhongjing, a doctor in Nanyang, Henan Province in the Eastern Han Dynasty. At that time, jiaozi was used as a medicine, and Zhang Zhongjing wrapped some cold-dispelling herbs in dough to treat diseases (mutton, pepper, etc. ) to avoid frostbite of patients' ears.

By the time of the Northern and Southern Dynasties, wonton had been "shaped like a crescent moon, and it was delicious all over the world". Presumably, when jiaozi cooked it, he didn't take it out and eat it alone, but put it in a bowl with the soup, so people called jiaozi "wonton" at that time. This way of eating is still popular in some areas of China. For example, when people from Henan and Shaanxi eat jiaozi, they should put some small ingredients such as coriander, chopped green onion, shrimp skin and leek in the soup.

Significance: When wrapping jiaozi, people often wrap Jin Ruyi, brown sugar, peanuts, dates and chestnuts into stuffing. People who are full of brown sugar will live a sweeter life in the coming year, people who eat peanuts will live a long and healthy life, people who eat dates and chestnuts will have a baby early, and people who eat coins will have constant financial resources.

Jiaozi is a folk food with a long history. Eating jiaozi during the Spring Festival is also a unique folk tradition of China people. Because it means "making friends when you are young", it is very popular with people. There is a folk saying "delicious but not as good as jiaozi". During the Spring Festival, jiaozi has become an indispensable delicacy. In the folklore of many places in China, eating "jiaozi" on New Year's Eve is an important feast that no food can replace. Besides jiaozi as a holiday food in the north, Renye Fang will also eat jiaozi on certain occasions.