Introduction
Chinese New Year, or Lunar New Year, is one of the most important Chinese holidays which is celebrated all around the world. The festival is also said to mark the onset of the traditional Chinese lunar new year, each year, being a part of the twelve lunar cycle. Many Chinese consider it as the greatest and the biggest event in China in which families sit together and enjoy their tasty food, watch firework display, and exchange new year wishes with their kith and kin. Out of any Chinese New Year customs, the exchange of Chinese New Year goodies has been significant in promoting happiness, extending blessings and confirming to the society’s culture values.
CNY Goodies: Saying Good Luck and Prosperity Through This Symbol
For Chinese culture, food is not only a way by which sustenance is obtained but also an object that comes with mystical political meaning. More food is prepared and get prepared to feed the visitors since a year is symbolizes to be enriched with prosperity, joy and success. CNY goodies or otherwise referred to as ‘ang pao’ in Mandarin mean one of the most unique characteristics of this celebration.
Ang pao is an oval-shaped issued red packet filled with money to be given as a token of lucky money and folded with attractive message prints. The red color of the packet represents happiness, luck, joy and happiness while the money signifies wealth and prosperity. For the Chinese, people especially the elder members of the community get to give ‘Ang Pao’ to other children, friends, and relatives they come across wishing them well for the New Year.
This article will look at the different popular CNY goodies and what they symbolize.
Chinese New Year goodies are classified into many categories and all of them are symbolic, representing certain favorable messages for the new year. Here are some of the most popular CNY goodies and their symbolism:
Nian Gao, or the Chinese New Year Cake
Nian gao, Chinese New Year cake, is a type of cake made from glutinous rice flour, which is often sweetened from brown sugar; it is common to seen during the occasion of Chinese New Year. The Chinese phrase “年高” means higher year, which come from the hopes of a better year in the future. For this reason it is considered to bestow a lucky and successful year to anyone who takes it.
Spring Rolls
Spring rolls are usual delicacies taken during CNY, and they represent wealth or prosperity. Spring rolls look like a gold bar; they are cylindrical and golden, and the Chinese symbol for the word spring sounds like the word gold. It is considered bad luck to eat Spring rolls on New Year; however, when the occasion is Chinese New Year, it is thought that consuming Spring rolls will cause wealth to be attracted to the consumer in the New Year.
Sticky Rice Cake (Nian Gao)
They are sticky rice dumplings filled with the sweet stuff like red bean paste or lotus seed paste and wrapped in bamboo leaves; They are glutinous rice dumplings which symbolize wealthy, which is consumed during the Chinese New Year celebrations. The cylindrical shape of dumplings is intended to represent the concept of ‘plenum,’ which accords with the idea of completeness and, therefore, his opulence. Families are also thought to be united, and homely living made possible through the help of this particular concept.
Peach Blossoms
Peaches, which are incorporated in most CNY centerpiece arrangements refer to prosperity, beauty, and joyous future. The flowers also used bloom early in the year since they symbolize spring and people’s new beginning. It is believed if you show or give a couple of peach blossoms during Chinese New Year, then you are wishing yourself a beautiful new year.
Oranges
Oranges are also placed among the liked Chinese New Year gifts because they signify prosperity and good fortune. In Chinese they call oranges 橙 (chen) which sounds like high position or progress so oranges are also considered highly lucky during Chinese New Year.
The Social Utility of CNY Goodies
Apart from having an economic value whereby the receivers of the goodies are seen to be prosperous, the Chinese New Year goodies have a vital social function of enhancing fellowship and bomap; the renewal of family values. Apart from superstitious activities, another tradition is when the family goes visiting from house to house with a celebration hamper containing CNY delicacies to their host/part host families. This tradition not only enhances and consolidates family ties but also helps to create a unison feeling in the family.
On the same note, giving and receiving ang pao between friends and relatives can be deemed as practice of good etiquette, specifically generosity, respect and thankfulness within the same society. This tradition helps people recall the cooperation and support concept of the present generation, bringing about a sense of social responsibility.
Conclusion
CNY goodies are items which have a symbolic importance and are essential for the Chinese New Year festivities. Some of them have tangible and significant traditional significances associated with Chinese culture, and their exchange during the festival conveys the people’s hope for prosperity, wealth and happiness for the new year. In the same way, the exchange of ang pao and other CNY treats also creates a sense of unity in families and the society and nurtures their culture of respecting seniors and being thankful and kind. While Chinese persons locally and globally celebrate the Chinese New Year, one can surmise that passing of CNY delicacies will remain as an unquestionable part of the celebrations, enshrining the Chinese cultural trappings and ageless traditions.