Recipes to Celebrate Lunar New Year (2024)

FAQs

What food is eaten to celebrate the Lunar New Year? ›

At home, my mother would honor the new year by incorporating "lucky foods" in the week of Chinese New Year. These foods would include fish, dumplings, Tangyuan (sweet rice balls), and Nian gao (glutinous rice cake). As a child, not fully understanding what we were celebrating, getting to eat these items was a treat.

Traditional Lunar New Year foods include longevity noodles, a whole steamed fish for abundance, sticky rice balls for togetherness, and more. Below you'll find some of those lucky foods, along with other traditional dishes like dumplings and rice cakes.

It's customary to serve and eat dishes that are believed to bring good fortune. Noodles, dumplings (don't forget the dipping sauce!), spring rolls and steamed fish are just a few of the tasty offerings usually prepared for this joyous occasion.

Oranges, Kumquats and Tangerines —— Good Luck and Happiness. In China, oranges, kumquats and tangerines are always on the shopping list for Chinese New Year. Chinese people love golden color so much, they believe that these fruits will bring them happiness, prosperity and good luck in making money.

Dumplings, or jiao zi, are commonly prepared and eaten during Chinese New Year as they are supposed to emulate little pouches of money and gold ingots. Therefore, the more dumplings, the better! These pouches are typically stuffed with pork, prawns, or vegetables, and steamed, pan-fried, or deep fried.

Many folks choose not to eat meat on New Year's Day as it is considered taboo to kill animals on the first day of the year. Congee should also be avoided as it was deemed as a common meal for those less fortunate in ancient times. Lastly, avoid taking any medicine on New Year's Day as it is also thought to be bad luck.

Before the festivities begin, people start thoroughly cleaning their houses from top to bottom – we're talking about moving furniture to get at the floors and walls, scrubbing down the grout in the bathroom, and even risking their lives wiping the outside of their windows.

In Chinese tradition, white is an unlucky color because it symbolizes death, so all white foods are out for the celebration. Tofu, eggs, rice, cauliflower, white cheeses—say goodbye to them for the night. Instead, fill your New Year's table with other colorful foods.

What do Filipinos eat for Lunar New Year? ›

On the first day of the lunar year:

No washing clothes or hair or bathing. The first and second day of the lunar year is the birthday of the “Water God”, so you are not supposed to use water to show respect for the Water God. No sweeping the floor or taking out rubbish. If you do so, you are carrying your fortune out.

Make sure you clean up and throw out your trash BEFORE midnight. Otherwise you're going to have to wait till the second day of the new lunar year. Cleaning of any kind on the first day is strictly forbidden. Don't even wash the dishes.

Red packets, also known as hongbao, are one of the most well-known Chinese New Year gifts. Monetary gifts are placed in red envelopes to be given to family, friends and colleagues, though traditionally they were given from the older generation to the younger generation.