NOTE: This article first appeared in 2015. In 2017, Chinese New Year will be celebrated on Jan. 28. It will be the year of the Fire Rooster. Happy eating.
As the Chinese New Year celebrations kick off on Feb. 19, 2015, marking the first new moon of the year and continuing for 15 days until the night of the first full moon, families will gather together to celebrate.
During this period, luxurious feasts will allow for many traditions to play out. In Chinese culture, many dishes of the festival also serve as wishes for the upcoming year — they embody the goals and aspirations of the people who consume them. Celebrants eat dumplings, for example, because they desire family harmony, and fish because they want a prosperous harvest.
View the slideshow below for more food traditions followed in Chinese culture during the Lunar New Year.
