what should i prepare for chinese new year

by Avis Kunze Published 3 years ago Updated 2 years ago

^{How to Prepare for Chinese New Year}

Send off the Kitchen God The Kitchen God is believed to look after a family’s nourishment and well-being. ...
Stock your pantry The streets of Chinatown are jammed during the week before Chinese New Year, as everyone stocks up before businesses close on New Year’s Eve. ...
Clean your home top to bottom Cleaning rids your home of last year’s troubles and puts on your best foot forward for the next year. ...
Settle your debts The notion of spring cleaning extends to financial affairs and personal squabbles. ...
Start cooking If you’re planning a traditional reunion dinner with 8 or more courses, then you’ll want to start cooking the day before. ...

Stuff your red envelopes You’ll have many opportunities to give and receive red envelopes during Chinese New Year. ...

Prepare your reunion dinner If you have family arriving for a traditional reunion dinner later in the day, most of New Year’s Eve will be dedicated to cooking in ...

Pass the time until midnight Families pass the time between dinner and midnight in many different ways. ...

Celebrate at midnight! Welcome the new year (and wake your neighbors) by lighting firecrackers at midnight and opening all of your windows and doors. ...

Softly enter the new year

Big families including several generations sit at round tables and enjoy the food and time together. Dishes with lucky meanings must be included in the dinner such as fish, dumplings, Nian Gao (sticky rice cake), and spring rolls. Many Lunar New Year foods are symbolic.Jan 25, 2022

What are some recipes for Chinese New Year?

Top 25 Chinese New Year Recipes

Chinese Dumplings. An indispensable New Year dish for many Chinese families, dumplings taste wonderful when made from scratch.
Peking Duck. If you’re looking for a star centre piece for you feast, try Peking duck! ...
Steamed Fish. ...
Sweet and Sour Fish. ...
Char Siu Pork. ...
Spring Rolls. ...
Hot Pot At Home. ...
Smoked Chicken. ...
Lion’s Head Meatballs. ...
Beef Shank Salad. ...

More items...

How to celebrate Chinese New Year?

Do the following like a traditional Chinese does:

Make Preparations One Week Before. Generally, a thorough sweeping of the house forebodes the beginning of traditional Chinese New Year celebrations.
Return Home before the New Year's Eve. ...
Celebrations Reach the Peak on the New Year's Eve. ...
First Day Spent at Home. ...
Visit Relatives for Several Days. ...

Why is Chinese New Year so important?

Why Is Chinese New Year So Important? Chinese New Year’s importance is rooted deep in history, and today remains the most important occasion for generations of families to reunite and spend time together. As many Chinese families may be separated due to career choices, education opportunities, and general urbanization, this festival serves as ...

What foods are eaten in Chinese New Year?

Nian Gao. One new year staple is nian gao — or rice cake. ...
Noodles. Although noodles are a staple in everyday Chinese cuisine, during the new year and other celebrations like birthdays, chang shou mian (or longevity noodles), are a must-have on the ...
Steamed Whole Fish. ...
Dumplings. ...
Spring Rolls. ...
Sweet Rice Balls. ...

What are 6 things we must do to prepare for Chinese New Year?

Chinese New Year TraditionsCleaning and Decorating Houses with Red Things. ... Offering Sacrifices to Ancestors. ... Enjoying a Family Reunion Dinner on Lunar New Year's Eve. ... Exchanging Red Envelopes and other Gifts. ... Setting Off Firecrackers and Fireworks. ... Watching Lion and Dragon Dances.

What should you avoid doing on Chinese New Year?

Avoid breaking a bowl, plate, glass, etc. Breaking symbolizes incompleteness and bad luck. Breaking a bowl, plate, glass, vase, or mirror during the Spring Festival is considered a bringer of bad fortune, monetary loss, or family breakup.

What should you clean before Chinese New Year?

Leave your hair as it is on the first day of the New Year. The Chinese character for hair is the same first character in the word for prosper. This means washing or cutting it off is seen as washing your fortune away and dramatically reduces chances of prosperity in the year ahead.

What is bad luck for Chinese New Year?

Talking about death is inappropriate for the first few days of Chinese New Year, as it is considered inauspicious. Buying (or reading) books is bad luck because the character for "book" (書/书) is a homonym to the character for "lose" (輸/输).

What color should you not wear on Chinese New Year?

blackTwo colors within Chinese culture, however, should be avoided: black and white, which are traditionally colors worn in times of mourning.

How do I prepare my house for New Years?

6 Ways to Prepare Your Home (& Your Life) for a Lucky Lunar New YearClean Your Windows.Sweep Your Floors.Clean Up Your Financials.Introduce a Power Color.Hold the Shampoo.Be a Good Person.

Is it bad luck to shower on new year's day?

If for any reason a gift is to be given this day, leave it in a car or out building New Year's Eve. — Some cultures believe one should not wash his or her hair on New Year's Day because it will wash away the good fortune of that person.

What should you not eat on new year's day?

What NOT To Eat On New Year's DayPoultry & Winged Fowl. You should avoid eating anything with wings on New Year's Day because it is believed your good luck will “fly away” with your meal. ... Lobster, Shrimp & Crab. ... Bottom-Feeding Fish. ... White-Colored Foods. ... Short Noodles. ... Keep Leftovers. ... Don't Pass the Knife.

Is it bad luck to shower on New Year's day?

What should you not eat on New Year's day?

How many days after Chinese New Year can I cut my hair?

In olden times, this was to give women a well-deserved break. Sharp objects in general will cut your stream of wealth and success. This is why 99% of hair salons are closed during the holidays. Hair cutting is taboo and forbidden until Lunar February 2, when all festivities are over.

When can you clean after Chinese New Year?

February 6. The rubbish from the first to the fourth day of the Chinese New Year is considered “wealth”, but after the fifth day, the garbage will turn into a sign of “poverty”. So on the sixth day, people need to clean up all the trash around them in order to get rid of poverty and welcome wealth and fortune.

What are the most common Chinese New Year foods?

The most common Chinese New Year foods include dumplings, fish, spring rolls, and niangao.

What is the most famous Chinese New Year's dinner?

Steamed fish is one of the most famous Chinese New Year recipes. What fish should be chosen for the New Year dinner is based on auspicious homophonics.

Why don't Chinese eat dumplings?

Chinese don't eat Chinese sauerkraut (酸菜 suāncài /swann-tseye/) dumplings at Spring Festival, because it implies a poor and difficult future. On New Year's Eve it is a tradition to eat dumplings with cabbage and radish, implying that one's skin will become fair and one's mood will become gentle.

What is the significance of Chinese New Year?

Certain dishes are eaten during the Chinese New Year for their symbolic meaning. Lucky food is served during the 16-day festival season, especially on Chinese New Year dinner on New Year's Eve, which is believed to bring good luck for the coming year . The auspicious symbolism of these traditional Chinese New Year foods is based on their ...

Why do Chinese people like to have a surplus at the end of the year?

Chinese people always like to have a surplus at the end of the year, because they think if they have managed to save something at the end of the year, then they can make more in the next year. Steamed fish is one of the most famous Chinese New Year recipes.

When should you eat fish in Yangtze?

This is practiced north of the Yangtze River, but in other areas the head and tail of the fish shouldn't be eaten until the beginning of the year, which expresses the hope that the year will start and finish with surplus. There are some rules related to the position of the fish.

How to make dumplings?

How to Make LUCKY Dumplings 1 When making dumplings there should be a good number of pleats. If you make the junction too flat, it is thought to purport poverty. 2 Some Chinese put a white thread inside a dumpling, and the one who eats that dumpling is supposed to possess longevity. Sometimes a copper coin is put in a dumpling, and the one who eats it is supposed to become wealthy. 3 Dumplings should be arranged in lines instead of circles, because circles of dumplings are supposed to mean one's life will go round in circles, never going anywhere.

What is the Chinese food that is traditionally eaten on New Year's Eve?

Dumplings . This traditional Chinese food dates back almost 2,000 years. During the Lunar New Year, dumplings are an essential New Year’s Eve food to enjoy during the celebrations. “The classic fold of a Chinese dumpling is shaped like a silver ingot, a currency in ancient China,” explains Chef Thach Tran of Ace Eat Serve in Denver.

What do you put in dumplings on Lunar New Year's Eve?

Typically, families will gather on Lunar New Year’s Eve to make dumplings together. Wheat flour wraps are filled with regional ingredients such as pork, shrimp, chicken, or vegetables. Sometimes dumplings are folded to look like small purses—another symbol of wealth. They can be steamed, pan-fried, or deep-fried. If you want to start your own dumpling-making tradition, try my Chicken Mushroom Pot Stickers and Vegetable Tofu Dumplings.

What is the Chinese New Year cake made of?

New Year Cake can come in different forms or flavors, but the most traditional one is made from rice flour. It’s typically pan-fried or steamed until well done. Don’t miss the 8 Chinese New Year celebrations we can all celebrate. TalyaAL/Shutterstock.

Why are grapes used in Chinese New Year?

Grapes are sometimes displayed for feng shui—design harmony—to bring success and good fortune to the family. Next, find out more facts you didn’t know about Chinese New Year. Originally Published: January 25, 2019.

What is the significance of Lunar New Year?

The Lunar New Year is celebrated with a feast of foods that symbolize prosperity, good luck and new beginnings for the year ahead. Here are the top foods to enjoy for Chinese New Year, the symbolism behind them, and the most delicious ways to prepare and enjoy them.

Why do people eat noodles on Lunar New Year?

People will often eat noodles on the second day of the Lunar New Year for longevity. “They represent your hopes and fears wrapped up in the long strand of a noodle,” according to Chef Han Lijun of Z&Y Restaurant in San Francisco. Be sure to slurp your noodles or the symbolism could work against you, warns Chef Lu.

What are the most popular foods to eat for Chinese New Year?

These are the most important Chinese New Year Foods and their meanings: 1. Dumplings .

How to say Happy New Year in Chinese?

If you want to impress your Chinese friends, you need to know how to say Happy New Year in Chinese! We don’t know a word in Chinese but we’ve learned the simplest way of saying it:

What is the Chinese New Year?

The Chinese New Year, also known as Lunar New Year, is the most important festival in China: it lasts up to two weeks, and it’s the only time of the year when China literally shuts down. Unlike Western countries, the Chinese New Year generally falls on a day between January 21st and February 20th in the Gregorian calendar, according to the Chinese lunar calendar.

What is the first day of the new year?

The 1st day of the New Year is spent at home, and a half-month then follows it spent visiting relatives. People bring gifts to one another’s homes and give red envelopes to the kids. 6. Folk Shows and Temple Fairs. Folk shows, fairs, and events are carried around till the 15th day of the 1st lunar month.

How do Chinese people celebrate Lunar New Year?

1. House Cleaning and Decorating .

What is the feast on Chinese New Year's Eve?

On New Year’s Eve, the whole family reunites to have dinner with the whole family. The feast includes meat, fish, vegetables. Read more about Chinese New Year Foods.

What is the best way to welcome the New Year?

1. House Cleaning and Decorating. About half a month before the year’s designated time, a thorough clean of the house is carried on to welcome the New Year at its best. After the in-depth cleaning, every house is decorated with red lanterns and traditional red decorations. 2.

What is Chinese New Year?

Just like Christmas, Chinese New Year is about spending it with family. Before doing so, many people will race off to a temple to make offerings to the gods and ancestors -- in return for striking it rich, of course.

Do you have to buy yourself a new pair of shoes?

Buy New Shoes and Clothes. Here is your chance to turn a want into a need, as if you needed an excuse. Yes, you really do have to buy yourself a new pair of shoes and clothes to welcome in the new year, preferably with a splash of red.

Is Chinese New Year special?

While Chinese New Year is always a special time, this particular cycle is the most special of all. Chinese New Year traditionally brings frenetic prayer and wishes for health, wealth, happiness and yet more wealth -- but 2012 has an added bonus.

Chinese New Year traditions

White symbolizes death in the Asian culture so wearing predominantly white is a no-no. Also avoid giving white flowers—instead bring a colorful bouquet. Try to wear a new outfit on New Year’s Day—just not a white one!

What can I expect in The Year of the Tiger?

Tigers are quick to react so expect some chaos to the year with some situations quickly changing that you’ll have to quickly adapt to. As it is the Year of the Water Tiger, expect some wild and strong emotions rising to the surface.

Is it a lucky year?

For those born in the year of the ox or ram, 2022 will be a lucky year for you! Those born in the years of rooster, horse, dragon and rabbit will have a smooth life in 2022. Those born in the years of the rat, dog, pig, snake, and monkey will have to work harder than others to get the same results.

How do I greet someone during the Lunar New Year?

When greeting someone for Lunar New Year, say “Xing Nyan Kwai Lo!” and “Gong Xi Fa Cai”! Not sure how to say it? Check out the video below.

What to write on Chinese New Year's cards?

It’s also a Chinese New Year tradition to write messages wishing good luck, good fortune, wealth, prosperity and longevity to loved ones. Place those messages where people will find them. For an added lucky touch, write the messages in gold ink on red paper. When it’s safe to invite a crowd, you can even make your invitations red with gold writing (or at least send an email in red font.)

What is the Chinese New Year tradition?

It’s believed that this tradition derives from an ancient legend involving a beast called Nian (the name is a Chinese word for “year”), who was known to be terrified of the color red.

Why do we clean up on Chinese New Year?

But cleaning on Chinese New Year is about more than good hosting. It’s traditionally done to sweep away bad luck from the current year (we’re looking at you, 2020). Then, when guests arrive, have them remove their shoes at the door to encourage a clean and smooth transition into the new year.

What do lions celebrate in Chinese New Year?

As for lions, they celebrate strength, stability and superiority for the Chinese New Year. Young tells us, “My favorite memories of Chinese New Year are when I used to participate in lion dance performances throughout my New York Chinatown community. I was part of an organization called the Wan Chi Ming Hung Gar Institute and we would parade around Chinatown to give the community and businesses good luck for the new year.”

What is the symbol of Chinese New Year?

The dragon is a beloved symbol for Chinese New Year—showcasing strength, goodness and good luck as well as supernatural forces—so you’ll want to include dragons in the party decorations. For example, you can stretch a long red dragon garland along the ceiling or a wall.

How long does Chinese New Year last?

Chinese New Year is more than just a night, it actually lasts 15 days and there are so many different things to do, traditions to follow and foods to eat.”. Here’s how to celebrate the Chinese New Year. (Learn more about the lucky Chinese New Year foods !) 2 / 10. Impact Photography/Shutterstock.

Why is Chinese New Year important?

Chinese New Year began as a way of bringing the family together to honor household deities. Chinese New Year (or Spring Festival, as it has come to be called) remains one of China’s most important holidays. Its focus has shifted beyond the household and into the community, and is a time for luck, food and family.