Next Thursday, February 3rd, will be Chinese New Year 2011! Traditionally, the Chinese celebrate the lunar new year, which occurs on a different day every year depending on the calendar. This year, it is the year of the Rabbit, according to the ancient Chinese zodiac, which rotates between 12 animals and completes a cycle every 12 years.
The Chinese typically get together for the lunar new year, as it is a time for family to be together. Many workers in China make amazingly long trips home to see their families, so traveling in China may be more congested during this time of the year. You can watch the human drama in a new documentary called “Last Train Home.”
It is a Chinese tradition to eat dumplings, called “jiao-zi” during the new year. The Japanese love them too and they call them “gyoza.”
According to legend, the reason that people eat dumplings and light fire crackers has to do with a mythical monster that used to come out during the Chinese new year to devour the townspeople of a village. One year, a beggar happened upon the village, where he found only empty houses. He finally happened upon an old woman alone in her house. Too old to flee, the old woman had decided to stay and face the monster.
The beggar’s appearance cheered the old woman, and she decided to make him a meal of left over meat scraps wrapped in flour skins and boiled. The beggar decided to light some fire crackers to make the occasion more festive while the old woman minced the meat on her cutting board. The next morning, the two realized that the monster did not appear and they were safe. The townspeople, who returned the following day, asked the duo how they had survived. They recounted their activities of lighting fire crackers and chopping meat loudly. Surmising that the monster was afraid of loud noises, the townspeople made it a tradition to make dumplings and light fire crackers every year after. The monster never appeared again!
Now that you know why people eat jiao-zi for new years, we hope you will take the time to make and eat them too! For an easy recipe, click here!
Happy New Year!!! Xīn Nián Kuài Lè!
