Lunar New Year Kids Culinary Class
This year, Philly Solidarity was invited to do a brief overview of Lunar New Year for Filter Club’s Kids Culinary Class.
We touched on traditional food families eat during this time of year, the difference between lions and dragons, the year of the rabbit, and other fun traditions practiced throughout the years.
Here is a summary of what we went over.
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🥟 Dumplings = Togetherness & Prosperity
Traditionally, families will gather during this time to bond, reflect, and make dumplings together. Because of that, dumplings are a symbol of togetherness.
For prosperity, the shapes of dumplings reflect ancient Chinese gold ingots. Because of that, it is said that the more dumplings you eat, the more wealth you will have in the new year.
The name itself also has a symbolic meaning. "Jiao zi" 餃子 is the name of one of the first forms of paper money during the Song dynasty in the 11th century and it also refers to the hour before the new year, thus symbolizing the notion of "out with the old and in with the new."
💰 Egg Rolls = Prosperity
Their shape is reminiscent of gold bars and therefore symbolizes wealth and prosperity.
🍜 Noodles = Longevity
What makes these noodles different from your everyday noodles is that these noodles are left uncut. The longer the noodles, the longer your life!
🐟 Fish = Surplus, Abundance
The pronunciation of fish in Chinese sounds like the word for surplus/leftover.
It is seen as a symbol of good fortune to have a surplus or leftovers at the end of the year.
🦐 Shrimp = Laughter, Happiness
The pronunciation for shrimp, ‘ha’, sounds like laughter.
🍊 = Fullness & Wealth
Due to the roundness and color of oranges, those visiting families and friends will bring oranges to wish the household fullness and wealth in the coming year.
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🦁 Like lions in the real work, these lions used for lion dances will also have four legs from the two people underneath them.
The colors and texture of the lion furs mean different things. For example, a lion with soft fluffy fur is consider a puppy or baby lion. One with coarse fur is considered an older lion.
🐉 Dragons are very long and require many people. Chinese dragons are magical and are known to fly. So the slicks people are holding the dragon up on make it looks like it is flying through the air.
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🧧 Cleaning the house = sweep away evil, fresh start
🧧 Paying back anything you owe = a clean slate
🧧 Decorating in red, yellow, and gold = good luck colors
🧧 New clothes= new start
🧧 Firecrackers = scare away evil
🧧 Red envelope = lucky money
🧧 Visit family
🧧 Staying up late
