Today's Chinese New Year marks the beginning of the Lunar Year 4703. This year is the Year of the Rooster. Just 15 days ago, celebration erupted amongst the Chinese Community as family members, churches, and friends welcomed the new year.
The celebration, also includes the Spring Festival, special foods, symbolic acts, and traditional festivities.
Here are some of the traditional foods enjoyed by Chinese each year:
• Nian Gao (Lunar New Year Cake), a sweet, sticky dessert similar to a pudding. Consuming it is said to ensure your advancement in the New Year.
• Lo Bak Gao (Turnip Cake), a dish of white radishes or turnips, sausages, dried shrimp, black mushrooms and flour. It symbolizes increasing fortune.
• Jin Dui (Chinese Sesame Balls), fried balls of sweet potatoes and red bean paste, rolled in sesame seeds. The dish represents prosperity.
• Xiu Hou Joe (Crunchy Smiley Face), a sesame-coated sweetened fried dough ball that looks like a laughing face. It means long-lasting happiness.
Here are some activities:
- Passing Red Envelopes: elder people put money to red envelopes to young unmmarried people. This action expresses the love and care of elders toward the young people.
- Honoring Family and Visiting Friends: people who do not see family members for a long time will often go home now. For the next 15 days, many family members will rejoice in reunions.
