HAPPY NEW YEAR 2009!

Happy New Year, everyone! Hope you had a wonderful time celebrating the New Year with your family and friends.

How did I celebrate New Year’s Eve and New Year?

I did something unusual this New Year since 2008 was kind of not so good year for me. I cooked dumplings, noodle and fish for my family. I have learned from my Chinese friends that dumplings is one of traditional Chinese new year food. It’s supposed to bring good luck and fortune. Besides dumplings, noodle and fish are good food to eat on New Year as well. Long noodle represents long-life and fish means success or abundance.

There are also some other dishes that are supposed to bring prosperity, wealth and happiness but I don’t remember all of them. So I did some research and found the website displaying the list of food and dumpling recipe. Just in case you are interested.

• Dumplings - Good luck, fortune, and family togetherness

• Noodles - When noodles are served, they are never cut because long noodles represent long-life.

• Whole fish - The Chinese word for fish “yu,” is the same word for “success” or “abundance.” Serving the fish whole is a symbol of togetherness of the family.

• Chicken - Like fish, chickens are served whole to symbolizing togetherness of the family

• Oysters - Receptivity to good fortune

• Dried bean curd - Like many of the foods that are served because the Chinese word for it also means something else, dried bean curd (tofu) symbolizes wealth and happiness

• Bamboo shoots - The word for bamboo shoots also sounds like the phrase for “wishing that everything would be well”

• Seaweed - Specifically, the black moss seaweed is the Chinese word for it also means “wealth”

• Turnips - “Cai tou,” the word for turnip, also means “good omen.”

• Meat balls - Symbolize reunion because the Chinese word “rou wan” is the same for both togetherness of the family.

• Lotus seed - Is a symbol (or wish) of having many male offspring

• Ginkgo nuts - Represent wealth

• Lettuce - Prosperity

• Garlic chives - Symbolize “everlasting”

• Prawns - Stand for liveliness and happiness

• Mixed vegetables - Represent family harmony

• Oranges - They stand for abundance and sweetness of the New Year.

I am not sure if the food will help bring me good luck and such. However, they were delicious and at the same time made me very full and happy. For those reasons which are strange enough, I feel happy and ready to start my first day in 2009.

How about you? What did you do? How did you celebrate your New Year?