Houses are also complimented with auspicious phrases and couplets. Purchasing new clothing, shoes, and receiving a hair-cut also symbolize a fresh start.
While some say the festivity begins on New Years Day, most argue that the real action begins on the 28th of the 12th month with a thorough cleaning in their house. This is believed that all the bad luck of the preceeding year will be swepted away. Therefore, on New Years Day, all brooms and dust pans are put away so that the newly arrived good luck cannot be swept away.
New Years Eve is the biggest event where friends and family will reunite for dinner. One of the must-have dishes are fishes, dumplings and rice cakes – to symbolize abundant (pun for the word ‘fish’ in Chinese), wealth (the shape of dumplings look similar to ancient Chinese taels) and increase or ‘become higher every year’ (pun for the word ‘rice cake’ in Chinese). Rice cakes are also cut into slices and given away to friends and families in the days to come to bless for a good year.
On New Years day, celebrations ranging from the Lion Dance to fireworks can be seen. This is a celebrate to evict bad spirits away and welcome the good spirits.
The Lunar New Year starts on the 2nd of February and from the 3rd onwards, it marks the first of 15 days of the celebrations.
A good start and happy ending to the New Year!!
Celebrate the New Year with an auspicious beginning with Six Senses’ healthy fish recipe:
Fish plays a large role in festive celebrations. The word for fish, “Yu,” sounds like the words both for wish and abundance. As a result, on New Year’s Eve it is customary to serve a fish at the end of the evening meal, symbolizing a wish for abundance in the coming year. For added symbolism, the fish is served whole, with head and tail attached, symbolizing a good beginning and ending for the coming year.
Sea bass is excellent for such a celebration as it has a wonderful soft texture as well as being a excellent source of magnesium and omega-3 fatty acids. Here is a easy and simple way to prepare sea bass:
Steamed Sea Bass in ginger and Chinese rice wine
- Serves 2
- Calories: 240 calories
Ingredients:
- 300g sea bass fillets ( two fillets 150gr )
- black pepper
- 2 spring onions
- 1 fresh red chili
- 1 clove garlic
- 30 gr fresh ginger
- 60ml Chinese wine
- 60ml Tamari soy sauce
- 20 ml Vegetable stock
- 10 ml Agave syrup
- 15g fresh coriander root
- 100gr steamed organic brown rice
- 80 gr shanghai bok choy
Method:
Season fish with pepper and leave for 2 – 3 minutes while you prepare the sauce.
Slice spring onions. Shred the chili and ginger. Chop the garlic. Mix all vegetables with soy sauce, stock, agave and wine in a separate bowl. Spoon over fish and leave to marinate for 20-30 minutes in a shallow bowl.
Heat up some water in a pot and place the dim sum baskets inside. Place the marinated fish in the same bowl inside the dim sum basket. Steam for 5 to 6 minutes until the fish is cooked through. Remove from steamer and place on serving plate with steamed bok choy and brown rice.