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Lunar New Year, Chinese Chunjie, Korean Seollal, Tibetan Losar and Spring Festival all describe the festival that begins with the first new moon of the lunar calendar and ends on the first full moon, 15 days later. This year, many will hold celebrations on Feb 1. The Lunar New Year festival is thousands of years old, and today nearly 25% of the world’s population participate in this celebration.
Traditions vary from region to region, but a few popular ones include family gatherings and meals, fireworks and red decorations and envelopes. Chinese New Year celebrations culminate with the Lantern Festival. If you’re looking to cook up a celebration at home, suggested foods include whole fish and whole chicken; long noodles; dumplings and spring rolls; sticky rice; tangerines, oranges, mangos, bok choy and mustard greens; and chocolate gold coins. Many of these hold symbolic intentions for good luck and prosperity in the coming year.
Here are a few recipes to get you inspired!
LONGEVITY NOODLES
The longer the better, with the thought being the longer the noddle, the longer your life will be.
PORK DUMPLINGS
Dumplings are a common Lunar New Year meal representing the exchange between sending away the old and welcoming in the new.
Vegetarian Spring Rolls
A well known dish from southern China, spring rolls are eaten to welcome in the spring.
NIÁN GĀO (NEW YEAR CAKE)
A special rice cake treat made of sticky, glutinous rice to bring good luck and improve one’s life.
CITRUS
No recipe necessary here for this Lunar New Year treat! With their golden color, mandarins, grapefruit, and kumquats are commonly given to represent wealth and prosperity.
