The year of the snake is a time to start anew. With the shedding of his skin, the snake is a representation of death and rebirth, thus marking the year of the snake as a time of transformation. In addition, the snake represents wisdom, knowledge, intelligence, intuition, and creativity.
The Snake
The snake is said to have once had four legs and was unpopular with other animals due to his malevolence. As punishment, the Jaede Emperor had his legs cut off and meant to put him to death, but the other animals pleaded for him to spare its life. Since then, the snake has done his best to be nice.
However, on the day of the great race the snake, who knew he was a weak swimmer, hitched a ride on the hoof of the horse and jumped out and scared it just before reaching the finish line, solidifying his place as sixth in line on the zodiac.
Foods of The Lunar New Year
Dumplings
This already popular dish is an essential food for Lunar New Year, as the shape of the dumpling closely resembles that of the Chinese ingots, thus symbolizing wealth and prosperity in the new year. The more you eat, the more money you can make. At home, we also add a piece of date to select dumplings: The person who gets the date will receive extra luck.
Whole Fish
The word for fish sounds a lot like the word for surplus in Chinese, thus eating a whole fish will bring abundance in the new year. Steamed fish is the most cooking method, with fish like Carp and catfish being popular due to their sounds being similar to “food luck” and “year surplus.” Just make sure you don’t eat the whole fish in one sitting: it is auspicious to have leftovers of your fish, as this is associated again with a surplus.
Whole Chicken
Chicken sounds a lot like the word for luck, and thus a whole chicken is another popular dish for Lunar New Year. When served with the head and feet still in tact, the bird is representative of unity, as well as a good beginning and end.
Longevity Noodles
There are no surprises here: the long, continuous strands of noodle symbolize long life. It is considered a lucky food to eat during Lunar New Year, and are longer than the typical noodle and often uncut. Do not bit the noodle and sever it, or you will shorten your lifespan.
Spring Rolls
The Golden color of spring rolls is said to bring wealth and prosperity. They are shaped similarly to gold bars, thus representing wealth in the new year.
Fruits
Some fruits are closely associated with Lunar New Year as well. For example, fruits like pomelos, oranges and tangerines are said to bring wealth due to their golden colors. The way these words are said, too, is said to bring good luck.
Glutinous Rice Cake
Eaten on the Eve of Lunar New Year, this tasty treat is not only delicious, but representative of improvements year over year.
Sweet Rice Balls
This food is a popular festival food, but also popular during Lunar new Year. The pronunciation of the word is similar to togetherness, thus representing being together for the holiday.
