23 Jan 2012 ~ Lunar New Year Fair ~ Part 3

Listening to: S.O.S. Band ~ Just Be Good To Me

恭喜發財 !!

Gong Hei Fat Choy! [Happy New Year!]

On the eve of the Chinese New Year it is customary to visit with relatives and partake in a large dinner where a number of specific foods are served. Typically families do eight or nine dishes because they are lucky numbers. The Chinese word for eight is baat [in Cantonese], which rhymes with faat, the word for prosperity." The word for nine means "long-lasting."

A lot of the foods are very symbolic and some popular foods include: dumplings (because they look like golden nuggets), oranges (because they are perfectly round, symbolizing completeness and wholeness), and long noodles (served to symbolize long life).

Sticky rice cakes and sweets are also served and are tied to a story about the Kitchen God-- a Santa Claus-like figure who reports to the Jade Emperor in heaven on whether families have been good or bad through the course of the year. According to legend, when families serve the Kitchen God sticky, delicious foods, his mouth gets stuck together and therefore he cannot report any bad things about the family to the Jade Emperor.

What's a Fair without Food? Here women are cutting rice and sesame treats for sample.

 I chose this one for tasting and it was quite delicious.

 Fruit sticks also are available.

I did a walk around the Food Stand. How many foods can you recognize?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MXuTLyBF75Y