What are the customs in your hometown when it comes to 'Lunar New Year's Eve Dinner'?

Shanghai's Spring Festival New Year's Eve Dinner is one of the most important festive events in traditional Chinese culture, which shares many similarities with those in other regions, but also has its own unique customs and precepts. In the following multi-faceted description, I will detail the customs and rituals associated with the Shanghai Spring Festival New Year's Eve Dinner in terms of history, food, and etiquette.

I. History

The Spring Festival dinner has a history of thousands of years in China. According to legend, the Spring Festival dinner originally originated from the ancient farmers on the winter solstice to observe the New Year's Eve, and then evolved into a family reunion on the night of New Year's Eve in the lunar calendar **** the custom of dinner. This tradition has continued for thousands of years and has become an important family and social event.

Two, diet

1, New Year's Eve dinner dishes

Shanghai Spring Festival New Year's Eve dinner dishes are mainly seafood, including river shrimp, crayfish, crab, abalone, shark's fin and so on. In addition, traditional dishes include chicken, duck, pork, beef and vegetables. Each ingredient has its own symbolic meaning, such as fish symbolizing a good year, pork symbolizing prosperity, and vegetables signifying harmony in the family.

2. Specialty snacks

Shanghai's New Year's Eve dinner also has its own unique snacks, such as xiao long bao, pan-fried buns, sweet and sour spare ribs, braised pork, sticky rice cake and so on. These snacks are not only delicious, but also represent the cultural characteristics of Shanghai.

3, forbidden food

Shanghai Spring Festival New Year's Eve dinner there are some forbidden food, such as pigeon, pig's feet, tofu, etc., because they are similar to the Chinese language and "parting", "crappy" and other inauspicious harmonies.

Three, etiquette

1, round table

Shanghai New Year's Eve dinners are usually served at a round table, symbolizing reunion. Moreover, there is a certain number of dishes on the round table, usually an even number, as an odd number is considered unlucky.

2, table furnishings

In Shanghai, table furnishings have their own unique style. The table is usually decorated with festive decorations, such as spring couplets, lucky charms and red lanterns, as well as meaningful decorations, such as oranges and rice cakes, which symbolize reunion, peace and good luck.

3. Family Reunion

Shanghai's New Year's Eve dinner emphasizes family reunion, which usually involves the whole family coming together to ***enjoy the food and **** the New Year. The atmosphere of the New Year's Eve dinner is usually very warm and festive.

4. Ancestor Worship

In Shanghai, ancestor worship is also an important activity at the Spring Festival New Year's Eve dinner. People set up ancestor worship tables in their homes and burn incense to express their admiration and gratitude to their ancestors, as well as their hope that they and their families will be blessed with health, peace and happiness.

Four, Other Customs

1, New Year's Eve Dinner Time

In Shanghai, the New Year's Eve dinner usually starts at around 6:00 p.m. and lasts until late at night. Before enjoying the New Year's Eve dinner, people will light firecrackers and fireworks in the hope of banishing evil spirits and ushering in good luck in the New Year.

2. Leftovers from the New Year's Eve Dinner

In Shanghai, there is usually enough food at the New Year's Eve dinner, but if there are leftovers, people usually save them for the next day to signify reunion and abundance.

3. Dietary taboos

There are also some dietary taboos that people have to observe at New Year's Eve dinners in Shanghai, such as not eating the leftovers because it means that the fortune won't last, and not eating all of the fish because it will bring bad luck and unluckiness.

In short, the Shanghai Spring Festival New Year's Eve dinner is an important event in traditional Chinese culture, and its cuisine, etiquette and customs have their own unique features and preoccupations. The New Year's Eve dinner is not only a time for family reunion and *** enjoying good food, but also a time for people to express their admiration for their ancestors and their expectations and blessings for the New Year.