How symbolism works in the Chinese New Year celebration

In the Chinese zodiac, 2010 is the Year of the Tiger and like many other cultures, food is a vital part of the celebration.   Interestingly, there is much symbolism in the preparation of the new year celebration, which can be contributed to the similar sounding words of their language.

For example, the Chinese word for the number eight also sounds like the pronunciation of the word prosperity and the number nine sounds like long-lasting.  Therefore, new year’s feasts include eight or nine food dishes.

Additional symbolism can also be found in the dishes served:

• Fish:  The Chinese word for fish also sounds like the word for abundance.
• Rice cake:  The Chinese word for rice cake is niangao (pictured above) which also sounds like year elevated.

Full story at ShareYourTable.com.