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Amanda TarltonUpdated: Feb. 06, 2024
Chinese New Year foods are said to help bring luck and good fortune. Here's a guide to their symbolic meanings.
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You may think “Lunar New Year” and “Chinese New Year” refer to the same event. That’s not the case! The Lunar New Year celebration in South Korea or Vietnam looks different than a celebration of the Lunar New Year in China. The holidays take place on different dates, too.
In 2024, China begins to celebrate its Lunar New Year on February 10. The holiday continues for two weeks, culminating in the Lantern Festival on February 24. Each year, the calendar aligns with an animal in the Chinese zodiac. 2024 is the Year of the Dragon, an animal that embodies good luck, strength and health.
Like any holiday, Lunar New Year has many traditions. In China, dragon dances and fireworks displays are essential parts of the celebration—as is food.
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Dumplings
According to ancient legend, the number of dumplings you eat during the Chinese New Year predicts the amount of money you’ll make in the upcoming year. The more, the better! While pork is the most common dumpling filling, you can also opt for shrimp, chicken or vegetables.
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Longevity Noodles
Be sure to serve these if you host a Chinese New Year party! Known as changshou mian, which means “long-life noodles,” these noodles are up to two feet long. According to Chinese tradition, the longer the noodle, the luckier you’ll be. Just be careful not to accidentally break one while you’re cooking—that’s bad luck because it represents a life cut short.
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Tray of Togetherness
Often divided into six or eight compartments (the number six symbolizes luck, while eight symbolizes fortune), the round Tray of Togetherness represents peace and family harmony. Fill the tray with an assortment of small treats like dried fruit, nuts or candy. You could also include these homemade almond ginger cookies.
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Spring Rolls
Resembling bars of gold, spring rolls bring wealth and good fortune. You can stuff these deep-fried rolls with various fillings, including pork, bean sprouts, shredded carrots, cabbage and assorted other veggies. The difference between egg rolls and spring rolls is that egg rolls have a wonton or yeast dough wrapper, while spring rolls have a thinner wrapping.
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Oranges and Other Citrus
Oranges, kumquats, tangerines and pomelos are common Chinese New Year food gifts because they’re believed to bring good luck and happiness. The Chinese words for orange and tangerine closely resemble the words for luck and wealth. The gold color also symbolizes prosperity. Far from family for this year’s celebrations? You can still send a gift of oranges.
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Sweet Rice Balls
These sweet rice balls are a common Chinese New Year food for good reason: The round shape signifies unity. These gooey balls also represent harmony and family togetherness because their name (tang yuan) sounds like the word “reunion” in Chinese (tuan yuan).
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Fish
In Mandarin, the pronunciation of the words for fish and abundance sounds similar. To ensure success in the coming year, steamed fish is a regular dish on the Lunar New Year table. Particularly, crucian carp and mud carp are hom*ophones for good luck and good fortune.
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Year Cake
The Chinese word for this cake—nian gao—is pronounced exactly like the word for “higher year,” which makes this dessert lucky. The sticky rice flour cake was originally used as an offering during ritual ceremonies. Now, people eat nian gao on the first day of the year to bring health, wealth and happiness.
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Eight Treasure Rice
This traditional dish is made with sticky rice and adorned with eight “treasures”—a variety of seeds, nuts and fruits like plums, jackfruit and raisins. Eight is a lucky number in Chinese culture and eating desserts on this holiday represents sweetness for the year ahead.
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Prosperity Cakes
These steamed rice flour cakes (fa gao) are known for their split tops. According to tradition, the more segments the top of your cake has, the luckier you’ll be in the new year. Fa gao translates to “prosperity cake,” so it’s no surprise that these treats are a popular Chinese New Year food.
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Almond Cookies
Chinese almond cookiesare thought to bring financial luck into the new year. Their round shape resembles that of a coin which symbolizes wealth and good fortune.
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Whole Chicken
Serving an entire chicken (head and feet included) celebrates wholeness and prosperity in the new year. The Chinese word for chicken, jī, is a hom*ophone for good luck and great wealth and also symbolizes unity.
Originally Published: January 26, 2022
Amanda Tarlton
Amanda has more than a decade of media experience, specifically in product testing in the cooking and lifestyle space. As a freelancer for Taste of Home, Amanda writes mostly about foodie finds, home and lifestyle goods and cooking and baking utensils that make life easier (and more fun!). Outside of freelancing, Amanda is the executive editor of commerce at Field & Stream.
When she's not working, Amanda is on the lookout for the best pizzas in town or testing out secret menu items at restaurants and coffee shops.
