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| Chinese New Year-Spring Festival Dinner |
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The north and south differ in the way they prepare their New Year Dinner during the Spring Festival. There are dumplings, wonton, long noodles, etc., each of which symbolizes something else.
Dumplings, which used to be eaten by the Northern Chinese on New Year’s Eve, are taken from the homophone of Jiaozi, which means changing the old into new. Those wheat flour made dumplings are usually in the shape of a silver ingot. This symbolizes "New Year’s fortune - gold or silver ingots are rolling in," - eat them, and in the coming year one of you will certainly get rich.
Eating ravioli, on the other hand, is intended to symbolize the beginning of a new era. According to the legend, the world was created from a state of great chaos (homophone of wonton). It was created by Pangu, a god living in heaven, with his epoch-making axe, which split the sky and the earth and hence derived the world and also the laws of all things living. Generation after generation, people may forget how the legend goes and why the universe has just come, but they never lose the deep love of having wanton – of enjoying delicious food and hoping that good luck is just around the corner.
The long noodles, also known as longevity noodles, are the best way to wish long life to all the members of the family and in particular to the elders of the family. In many places there still remains a birthday custom of eating longevity noodles, for the same reason. Meanwhile, the noodles are also very easy to digest and thus have become a kind of health food for the elderly.
Along with the improvement of people's standard of living, every household would also prepare dozens of exquisite dishes. The festival is a celebration of the past year, as well as an opportunity to wish for prosperity in the future.
 In recent years, however, going out to eat dinner in restaurants has gradually become a popular substitute for the traditional family dinner at home, during the Chinese Spring Festival. Ordering such a dinner in a restaurant is becoming more and more expensive. This year there are many restaurants that added this cuisine to their menus; from the one thousand yuan package, offered by the well-established hotels, to the inexpensive semi-finished dishes, offered by many ordinary restaurants. Although the proprietors have committed themselves to vacuum packaging, food hygiene, testable net weight, and even indicated that they could show the production process through live video, many are still concerned about the safety of the food. Anyway, it is a combination of tradition and modern culture that has been picked up on by the food industry, specifically young people who are starting their own businesses. The government's department of Consumer affairs has advised customers not only to check the production date,, but to also check the place of origin, and report any irregularities to the officials.
Xu Ying,
The ChineseVoice team
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| New Year’s Dinner around the World |
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 【日本】 除夕钟声敲响108下的时候，各家各户就吃起长面条来。日本人相信，面条越长，运气越好。
(【rì běn 】chú xī zhōnɡ shēnɡ qiāo xiǎnɡ 108 xià de shí hou， ɡè jiā ɡè hù jiù chī qǐ chánɡ miàn tiáo lái。 rì běn rén xiānɡ xìn， miàn tiáo yuè chánɡ， yùn qi yuè hǎo。)
【Japan】 When the bell rings 108 times, each Japanese household begins eating long noodles. The island people believe that the longer the noodles are, the better the luck will be for the coming year.
【新加坡】 过年时，新加坡人爱吃炸糯米和红糖做成的甜年糕。当地人以“年糕”寓意“年高”，表达新年祝福。
(【xīn jiā pō】ɡuò nián shí， xīn jiā pō rén ài chī zhà nuò mǐ hé hónɡ tánɡ zuò chénɡ de tián nián ɡāo。 dānɡ dì rén yǐ “ nián ɡāo” yù yì “ nián ɡāo ”， biǎo dá xīn nián zhù fú。)
【Singapore】Singaporeans love to eat sweet Niaogao which is made from deep-fried glutinous rice and brown sugar cake. Locals regard it as "High Pudding" to express the blessing for the New Year.
【意大利】 意大利年夜饭是蜂蜜汤团，蜂蜜汤团有“生活富有、圆满、甜蜜”的意思。
(【yì dà lì】 yì dà lì nián yè fàn shì fēnɡ mì tānɡ tuán， fēnɡ mì tānɡ tuán yǒu “ shēnɡ huó fù yǒu 、 yuán mǎn、 tián mì ” de yì si。)
【Italy】 Italians have honey dumplings served at dinner time. It is said that the honey dumpling bears the meaning of "rich, successful, and sweet life" in the Italian language.
【西班牙】 西班牙的年夜饭是：“新年到，吃葡萄，12粒，刚刚好”。 葡萄是美好的食物，人们食之，可保月平安，一年12个月，一粒代表一个月。
(【xī bān yá】 xī bān yá de nián yè fàn shì： “ xīn nián dào， chī pú tɑo， 12 lì， ɡānɡ ɡānɡ hǎo”。 pú tɑo shì méi hǎo de shí wù， rén men shí zhī， kě bǎo yuè pínɡ ān， yì nián 12 ɡè yuè， yí lì dài biǎo yí ɡè yuè。)
【Spain】 Spain's dinner bears the saying: "New Year comes, grapes are for taste; no more no less, twelve are just right." According to their ancestral year, 12 grapes represent 12 months, which ensure a safe month to pray for good luck.
 【希腊】 希腊人过年时，全家围坐在一起烤一个特大的面包来分享。这面包里藏有一枚硬币，吃到的人会生活幸福，来年吉祥。
(【xī là】xī là rén ɡuò nián shí， quán jiā wéi zuò zài yì qǐ kǎo yí ɡè tè dà de miàn bāo lái fēn xiǎnɡ。 zhè miàn bāo lǐ cánɡ yǒu yì méi yìnɡ bì， chī dào de rén huì shēnɡ huó xìnɡ fú， lái nián jí xiánɡ。)
【Greece】During the Greek Chinese New Year, the whole family sitt around and share a large baked bread. This bread contains a penny, and whoever eats it will live a happy, good life in the coming year.
【俄国】俄国人喜欢在家过年，一家人聚在一起，享受丰富多彩的“俄国大菜”。这时，人们会喝伏特加，驱走身上的寒气，带来一个火热的新年。
(【é ɡuó】 é ɡuó rén xǐ huɑn zài jiā ɡuò nián， yì jiā rén jù zài yì qǐ， xiǎnɡ shòu fēnɡ fù duō cǎi de “ é ɡuó dà cài ”。 zhè shí， rén men huì hē fú tè jiā， qū zǒu shēn shànɡ de hán qì， dài lái yí ɡè huǒ rè de xīn nián。)
【Russia】 Russians prefer spending New Year at home because the family rarely gets together and enjoys a variety of "Russian dishes." People swig vodka, which can at the same time drive away colds and bring a burning hot New Year.
 【朝鲜】朝鲜人的新年除了美酒佳肴外，还必须要做一种用糯米加上松子、栗子粉、枣泥和蜂蜜等蒸煮而成的甜饭食用，以预示家里人丁兴旺、日子过得像蜜一样甜。
(【cháo xiān】 cháo xiān rén de xīn nián chú le měi jiǔ jiā yáo wài， hái bì xū yào zuò yì zhǒnɡ yònɡ nuò mǐ jiā shànɡ sōnɡ zǐ、 lì zi fěn、 zǎo ní hé fēnɡ mì děnɡ zhēnɡ zhǔ ér chénɡ de tián fàn shí yònɡ， yǐ yù shì jiā lǐ rén dīnɡ xīnɡ wànɡ、 rì zi ɡuò dé xiànɡ mì yí yànɡ tián。)
【Korea】 In the Korean New Year, in addition to the regular "Wine and Dine", rice must also be consumed (with pine nuts, chestnut flour and honey) to symbolize a flourishing population at home, and the passing of time like honey.
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