Tradional Dragon Dance and Chinese New Year Lucky Foods at Lucky China Town

#chinesenewyear2023 #luckychinatown #lunaryear #binondomanila #tikoy In China and other Asian countries, Lunar New Year is the biggest celebration of the year. In 2023, the holiday starts on January 22 and continues for two weeks, culminating in the Lantern Festival. Each year, the calendar aligns with an animal in the Chinese zodiac. 2023 is the Year of the Rabbit, a lucky animal that embodies elegance and beauty. This holiday is connected to the start of the Chinese lunar calendar and is an opportunity to celebrate family and success in the coming year. Like any holiday, Lunar New Year has many traditions. Dragon dances and fireworks displays are essential parts of the celebration and lucky food to eat and serve. It is believed that performing the dragon dance scares away evil spirits and all the bad luck associated with them, and brings in good luck and wealth instead. This is why the dragon dance is very popular during Chinese New year as well as during other auspicious occasions such as weddings and other festivities. The appearance of a dragon is both fearsome and bold but it has a benevolent disposition, and it was an emblem to represent imperial authority. The movements in a performance traditionally symbolize the power and dignity of the dragon. Lucky Food 1. Dumplings. According to ancient legend, the number of dumplings you eat during the Chinese New Year predicts the amount of money you’ll make in the upcoming year (the more, the better). While pork is the most common dumpling filling, you can also opt for shrimp, chicken or vegetables. When it comes time to cook the dumplings, either steam them or pan-fry them. Here’s how to make Chinese dumplings from scratch. 2. Noodles Be sure to serve these if you host a Chinese New Year party! Known as changshou mian, which means “long-life noodles,” these noodles are up to two feet long. According to Chinese tradition, the longer the noodle, the luckier you’ll be. Just be careful not to accidentally break one while you’re cooking—that’s bad luck because it represents a life cut short. 3. Spring Rolls Resembling bars of gold, spring rolls bring wealth and good fortune. You can stuff these deep-fried rolls with various fillings, including pork, bean sprouts, shredded carrots, cabbage and assorted other veggies. 4. Round and Golden Fruits Oranges, kumquats, tangerines and pomelos are common Chinese New Year food gifts because they’re believed to bring good luck and happiness. The Chinese words for orange and tangerine closely resemble the words for luck and wealth. The gold color also symbolizes prosperity. 5. Sweet Rice Ball These sweet rice balls are a common Chinese New Year food for good reason: The round shape signifies unity. These gooey balls also represent harmony and family togetherness because their name (tang yuan) sounds like the word “reunion” in Chinese (tuan yuan). 6. Fish In Mandarin, the pronunciation of the words for fish and abundance is the same. To ensure success in the coming year, steamed fish is a regular dish on the Lunar New Year table. 7. Whole Chicken Serving an entire chicken (head and feet included) celebrates wholeness and prosperity in the new year. The Chinese word for chicken, jī, is a homophone for good luck and great wealth and also symbolizes family unity. 8. Tikoy The Chinese word for this cake—nian gao—is pronounced exactly like the word for “higher year,” which makes this dessert lucky. The sticky rice flour cake was originally used as an offering during ritual ceremonies. Now, people eat nian gao on the first day of the year to bring health, wealth and happiness. Thankyou and enjoy watching.