Lunar New Year, Lunar Nostalgia: How My Family Celebrates
Written by Will Chen
Lunar New Year is one of my favorite holidays because its themes center on renewal, family, fortune, and prosperity. Each year, my family hosts a gathering and prepares a wide variety of Chinese dishes for everyone to enjoy. Cousins, aunts, and uncles come together to catch up and share updates about their lives. This sense of connection and togetherness is what makes me look forward to Lunar New Year each year.
Traditional Lunar New Year Foods:
One of my favorite dishes that my parents prepare each year is Cantonese-style ginger scallion lobster. This dish highlights the natural sweetness of lobster, enhanced by ginger and scallions that add a savory flavor and fresh aroma. It is typically prepared by chopping the lobster into pieces and stir-frying it over high heat. In Chinese culture, lobster is considered a luxury ingredient, so serving it symbolizes success, generosity, and respect for guests. Additionally, ginger and scallions are viewed as clean and harmonious ingredients, emphasizing good fortune and balance. Overall, this dish strongly represents celebration and prosperity, making it a mandatory Lunar New Year dish in the Chen household.
Another dish we eat each year is chao nian gao, also known as stir-fried rice cakes. This is a Fuzhouese classic, reflecting my parents’ cultural background. The rice cakes are sliced and stir-fried with pork, chicken, cabbage, and bok choy in soy sauce and oyster sauce. The end result is a chewy and savory dish. Since nian gao sounds like “higher year” in Chinese, this dish ultimately symbolizes growth and improvement year over year.
Traditions:
Besides food, there are certain traditions my family seeks to uphold during this time of year. One of which is not washing your hair due to language symbolism and cultural beliefs. Since hair sounds like “to prosper” in Chinese, washing your hair symbolizes washing away your luck. What my parents advise me to do is to wash my hair the day before the Lunar New Year, so I don’t risk losing my future luck.
This is what Lunar New Year looks like in the Chen household. While it may not seem extraordinary, these traditions and gatherings are deeply meaningful to me. They are customs I truly cherish and look forward to celebrating every year.
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