What dishes should I eat on New Year’s Day?

There is a tradition of eating the following foods on New Year's Day

1. Dumplings

Dumplings are transformed from wontons. Northerners will eat them every New Year's Day. dumpling. But the custom of eating dumplings on New Year's Day flourished in the north during the Ming and Qing Dynasties.

2. Rice cake

New year cake, also called sticky cake, has the meaning of getting better every year. Rice cake is a food with a long history, but eating rice cake on New Year's Day became popular in the Ming and Qing Dynasties, especially in the south. Mainly in Suzhou, Jiading and other places in Jiangsu and Zhejiang.

3. Eggs

The custom of eating an egg on New Year's Day has been around since the Wu and Jin Dynasties. It is said that eating eggs at that time was for longevity, but when Emperor Wu of Liang was in power, this was no longer the case. The main reason was because Emperor Wu of Liang believed in Buddhism.

4. Jiaobai wine

Jiaobai wine is made by soaking Zanthoxylum bungeanum and cypress leaves. According to ancient books, drinking pepper and cypress wine can cure diseases and lead to longevity. The traditional custom of drinking pepper and cypress wine on New Year's Day is mainly practiced in Licheng, Shandong and Jiaxing, Zhejiang.

5. Soup cakes

Soup cakes in ancient times referred to wheat flour products boiled in water, which are similar to the noodles we eat now.

Extended information

Chinese New Year's Day was originally the first day of the first lunar month. In ancient times, it was the day to commemorate Emperor Shun's sacrifice to heaven and earth and the late emperor Yao. All dynasties held celebration ceremonies and prayers on New Year's Day. Sacrifice and other activities, such as offering sacrifices to gods and ancestors, writing Spring Festival couplets on doors, writing blessing characters, and dancing dragon lanterns. Folks have gradually formed worshiping gods and Buddhas, worshiping ancestors, pasting Spring Festival couplets, setting off firecrackers, staying up late, eating reunion dinners, and many other "social activities". Fire" and other entertainment and celebration activities.

On September 27, 1949, the first plenary session of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference decided that China would adopt the Western calendar for commemoration. From then on, January 1 of the Gregorian calendar became China's New Year's Day. China is the 12th country in the world. country that starts the new year.