Why do people in China eat jiaozi on New Year's Eve?

According to legend, jiaozi was eaten on New Year's Eve to commemorate Pangu's creation, thus ending the mixed state. This is how jiaozi evolved from chaos. In ancient times, "chaos" and "muddy hoarding" were homophonic, meaning "five grains are abundant"

There is also a saying that it is related to the mother snail making people. In order to thank the mother snail, people use Bao jiaozi to commemorate the achievements of Nu Wa.

According to "Guangya" written by Zhang Yi, wei ren of the Three Kingdoms, there was a crescent-shaped food called "Wonton" at that time, which was basically similar to the shape of jiaozi now. 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 our country. 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.

By about the Tang Dynasty, jiaozi had become exactly the same as jiaozi now, so it was fished out and put on a plate to eat by itself. Jiaozi was called "Joule" in Song Dynasty, which is the etymology of the word "Jiaozi" in later generations. This kind of writing can still be seen in the following Yuan, Ming, Qing and Republic of China.

Jiaozi was called a "flat food" in the Yuan Dynasty. During the Wanli period of the Ming Dynasty, Shen Bang's Miscellaneous Notes on Ten Thousand Parts recorded: "New Year's Day, New Year's Day ...... as a patch food". Liu Ruoyu's "Proceedings" records: "Eat fruit snacks on New Year's Day and eat a plaque immediately." The "plaque" of the "plaque food" in the Yuan and Ming Dynasties is now commonly used as "ping". A kind of "flat food" may come from Mongolian.

Some new names about jiaozi appeared in Qing Dynasty, such as "jiaozi", "Water Snack" and "Boiled Bean". The increase of Jiaozi's names shows that its geographical spread is expanding.

What's the meaning of eating jiaozi? Jiaozi is usually wrapped up before 0/2 o'clock on New Year's Eve/kloc, and you can eat jiaozi on the first day of the New Year. Eating jiaozi means good luck, happiness and reunion.

Different fillings in jiaozi have different meanings. Some rural areas will put peanuts, sugar, dates and Jin Ruyi as fillings. If people who eat sugar are full, the next year will be sweeter, people who eat dates will have babies early, and the excitement of eating peanuts will be healthy and longevity. It contains people's beautiful yearning and wishes for the future.