[current_date format=l,] [current_date]

Chinese Festivals and Culinary Delights

The December (Là Bā) Festival In the Chinese Lunar calendar, December is referred to as “Là Yuè” (腊月)–with là (腊) referring to ‘preserved meat’ and yuè (月) to ‘month’. So December is known as the time for preparing meat and fish for their preservation over winter. The Là Bā (臘八) Festival falls on December 8th and is a day when people commemorate Buddha Shakyamuni’s enlightenment. Buddhist monasteries offer people free porridge and distribute the ten-way good faith. There is a tradition that has been passed down since the times of the Tang (618 – 907) and Song (960-1279) Dynasties and this is the Chinese ceremonial congee dish, Là Bā Congee. During the Qing dynasty, the eating of congee–originally thought to be prepared with red beans–formed a major custom throughout

The December (Là Bā) Festival

In the Chinese Lunar calendar, December is referred to as “Là Yuè” ()–with là (腊) referring to ‘preserved meat’ and yuè () to ‘month’. So December is known as the time for preparing meat and fish for their preservation over winter. The Là Bā (臘八) Festival falls on December 8th and is a day when people commemorate Buddha Shakyamuni’s enlightenment. Buddhist monasteries offer people free porridge and distribute the ten-way good faith. There is a tradition that has been passed down since the times of the Tang (618 – 907) and Song (960-1279) Dynasties and this is the Chinese ceremonial congee dish, Là Bā Congee.

During the Qing dynasty, the eating of congee–originally thought to be prepared with red beans–formed a major custom throughout society, from the commoners to the royals. The Emperor and Queen would bless their court officials by giving out làbā Congee, and commoners would incorporate the dish in worshiping their ancestors, as well as take the opportunity to spend time with relatives and friends. The congee signified a blessing. Some followed the example of generosity set by Buddhist monks and give out the congee to the poor. When all was done, preparations for the Lunar New Year would begin.

Since ancient times, the Làbā congee has had many different variations and there isn’t one set recipe. In the Chronicle of the Beijing, written by Chadun Fu–a wealthy merchant of the Qing Dynasty–there is a section that reads:

“The Là Bā Congee uses yellow rice, white rice, jiang rice, millet, water-chestnut rice, chestnuts, red beans, peeled jujube, etc. cooked with water; additionally, coloured red peach kernels, almonds, sunflower seeds, peanuts, hazelnuts and pine nuts are used to add colour, as well as white and brown sugar and trivial grapes to add sweetness.”

It is a very detailed record of how various ingredients were used to achieve desired flavours.  Nowadays, people generally use commonly available ingredients, such as dried fruits, rice and beans. There may be half a dozen or more ingredients mixed together. From the standpoint of traditional Chinese medicine, most of these ingredients are believed to have a strengthening effect on the spleen and soften the stomach, as well as balancing the body’s vital energy or ‘Qi’, while also supporting the quality of the blood through expelling coldness and warming the body. The brew is thought to be easy on the digestion and especially beneficial during the colder months.

The Eve and New Years’ Day

 

Red lanterns on display during Chinese New Year in San Francisco’s Chinatown 2004. (Photo: Wikimedia Commons)

 

The Lunar New Year’s Eve is an occasion for Chinese families to get together for a reunion dinner. Everyone is usually eager to make it to the gathering, so that the whole family can celebrate together. Even if a member of the family must be excused from attending, tableware will still be placed at their spot on the table, as a symbol of family unity. This communal feast is called “surrounding the stove” or “weilu” in Chinese, and honors the past and present generations.

While China’s every region and even household can have their own unique styles when preparing New Year dishes, the main ingredients universally include chicken, pork, fish, and vegetables. The dishes are created to symbolise prosperity, happiness and auspiciousness.

There is a lot of symbolism and creativity that goes into the preparation of the dishes. To give some examples, mustard greens (kai choy) is thought to be symbolic of longevity. It is said that one must eat the whole leaf in one bite, because it represents one’s life, which is not something one wants to cut short but to live in its entirety.

In Taiwanese, “Radish” (菜頭/cài tóu) sounds very similar to “good luck” (彩頭/cǎi tóu), so radishes are often chosen to be in the list of ingredients.

“Chicken” and “family” are homonyms. So having a whole chicken on the dinner table symbolises a reunion of the entire family.

The pronunciation of “fish” (yú) is the same as for “surplus”, so eating fish is considered to be a way to wish everyone an abundant year ahead. However, the fish should intentionally be left unfinished, so that the leftover fish can further symbolise the idea of abundance. It goes along with the common phrase, “An abundant profit every year” (年年有餘/nián nián yǒu yú).

Another indispensable dish on the traditional Chinese New Year menu are glutinous rice cakes. Called  “Nián Gāo” (年糕) in Chinese, meaning, “New Year’s cake”, they symbolize one reaching an elevated level of achievement. The words “cake” (糕/gāo) and “high” (高/gāo) have the same pronunciation, hence linked with the phrase, “Reach higher every year” (年年高升/nían nían gāo shēng). People wish each other higher advancement in their life, career or studies.

The classic dumpling (餃子/Jiǎozi) is thought of as a lucky food for the New Year. After the mid-Ming Dynasty, dumplings became indispensable, especially in Northern Chinese New Year dishes. The reason behind it is that dumplings look similar in shape to ancient money–the gold ingot; therefore symbolizing wealth. Dumplings are associated with the phrase, “Money and treasures will come to the family” (招財進寶/zhāo cái jìn bǎo).

The auspicious references imbued into the dumplings go even deeper. Each different filling can, in itself, symbolise different things.

And there’s more. Typically in Northern China, people have a custom of staying up on New Years’ Eve to wrap dumplings before midnight arrives, then eat them within the first hour of the New Year. This is mainly because the Chinese word for dumpling–Jiǎozi–sounds similar to another word “jiāozi” (交子)–which means, “Ring out the old year and ring in the new year” (辭舊迎新/cí  jiù yíng  xīn).

The Lantern Festival

Sky Lantern Festival in Taiwan. (Photo: © Richie Chan/Dreamstime.com)

 

 

The Lantern (元宵/yuán xiāo) Festival falls on the first full moon after the Chinese New Year. In ancient times, it was called the Shàng yuán (上元) Festival. It was given great significance, as early as the Western Han Dynasty (206 B.C. – 220 A.D.), and really took off during the Sui (581 – 618) and Tang (618 – 907) Dynasties.

The rice dumplings have different names. “Yuán xiāo”, “tāng tuán” or as is the case in Southern China, “tāng yuán”. The latter two sound similar to “tuán yuán” (团圆), meaning “reunion”. The rounded dumplings therefore symbolize family union. They are served to honour the relationship, and the harmony and happiness that such togetherness brings. It’s a way to wish the family all the best in what’s to come.

Ming Emperor Xianzong Enjoying the Lantern Festival (Ming Dynasty) (Photo: Wikimedia Commons)

It is said that the custom of eating rice dumplings originated in the Song (960-1279) Dynasty. There are records in the Era Zaji (歲時雜記) and the Reminiscences of the Eastern Capital (東京夢華錄/Dongjing Menghua Lu) of various types of dumplings being served during the festivities. To this day, this tradition of enjoying sticky rice dumplings (Yuán xiāo) together with beautiful lanterns has remained indispensable in celebrating on the full moon.

The Court of the Ming Dynasty recorded their methods for making such dumplings. The main ingredient is the sticky-rice flour and dough is kneaded into small balls that are optionally filled with walnuts or even sugar. The small round dumplings are placed in boiling water, just for a few minutes.

In the Qin Dynasty, dumplings became so popular during the Lantern celebrations, that the festivities took on the name, Yuánxiāo (dumpling) Festival.

Tag

More on this topic

More Stories

SubscribeNewsletter@2x
Refreshing and Insights
at No Cost to You!

Cancel anytime

Latest Articles

Leave a Reply

Trending

Top Products

Contact us

Wherever & whenever you are,
we are here always.

The Middle Land

100 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 700 Santa Monica, CA 90401
Footer Contact

To Editor


Terms and Conditions

October, 2023

Using our website

You may use the The Middle Land website subject to the Terms and Conditions set out on this page. Visit this page regularly to check the latest Terms and Conditions. Access and use of this site constitutes your acceptance of the Terms and Conditions in-force at the time of use.

Intellectual property

Names, images and logos displayed on this site that identify The Middle Land are the intellectual property of New San Cai Inc. Copying any of this material is not permitted without prior written approval from the owner of the relevant intellectual property rights.

Requests for such approval should be directed to the competition committee.

Please provide details of your intended use of the relevant material and include your contact details including name, address, telephone number, fax number and email.

Linking policy

You do not have to ask permission to link directly to pages hosted on this website. However, we do not permit our pages to be loaded directly into frames on your website. Our pages must load into the user’s entire window.

The Middle Land is not responsible for the contents or reliability of any site to which it is hyperlinked and does not necessarily endorse the views expressed within them. Linking to or from this site should not be taken as endorsement of any kind. We cannot guarantee that these links will work all the time and have no control over the availability of the linked pages.

Submissions 

All information, data, text, graphics or any other materials whatsoever uploaded or transmitted by you is your sole responsibility. This means that you are entirely responsible for all content you upload, post, email or otherwise transmit to the The Middle Land website.

Virus protection

We make every effort to check and test material at all stages of production. It is always recommended to run an anti-virus program on all material downloaded from the Internet. We cannot accept any responsibility for any loss, disruption or damage to your data or computer system, which may occur while using material derived from this website.

Disclaimer

The website is provided ‘as is’, without any representation or endorsement made, and without warranty of any kind whether express or implied.

Your use of any information or materials on this website is entirely at your own risk, for which we shall not be liable. It is your responsibility to ensure any products, services or information available through this website meet your specific requirements.

We do not warrant the operation of this site will be uninterrupted or error free, that defects will be corrected, or that this site or the server that makes it available are free of viruses or represent the full functionality, accuracy and reliability of the materials. In no event will we be liable for any loss or damage including, without limitation, loss of profits, indirect or consequential loss or damage, or any loss or damages whatsoever arising from the use, or loss of data, arising out of – or in connection with – the use of this website.

Privacy & Cookie Policy

October, 2023

Last Updated: October 1, 2023

New San Cai Inc. (hereinafter “The Middle Land,” “we,” “us,” or “our”) owns and operates www.themiddleland.com, its affiliated websites and applications (our “Sites”), and provides related products, services, newsletters, and other offerings (together with the Sites, our “Services”) to art lovers and visitors around the world.

This Privacy Policy (the “Policy”) is intended to provide you with information on how we collect, use, and share your personal data. We process personal data from visitors of our Sites, users of our Services, readers or bloggers (collectively, “you” or “your”). Personal data is any information about you. This Policy also describes your choices regarding use, access, and correction of your personal information.

If after reading this Policy you have additional questions or would like further information, please contact us.

PERSONAL DATA WE COLLECT AND HOW WE USE IT

We collect and process personal data only for lawful reasons, such as our legitimate business interests, your consent, or to fulfill our legal or contractual obligations.

Information You Provide to Us

Most of the information Join Talents collects is provided by you voluntarily while using our Services. We do not request highly sensitive data, such as health or medical information, racial or ethnic origin, political opinions, religious or philosophical beliefs, trade union membership, etc. and we ask that you refrain from sending us any such information.

Here are the types of personal data that you voluntarily provide to us:

  • Name, email address, and any other contact information that you provide by filling out your profile forms
  • Billing information, such as credit card number and billing address
  • Work or professional information, such as your company or job title
  • Unique identifiers, such as username or password
  • Demographic information, such as age, education, interests, and ZIP code
  • Details of transactions and preferences from your use of the Services
  • Correspondence with other users or business that you send through our Services, as well as correspondence sent to JoinTalents.com

As a registered users or customers, you may ask us to review or retrieve emails sent to your business. We will access these emails to provide these services for you.

We use the personal data you provide to us for the following business purposes:

  • Set up and administer your account
  • Provide and improve the Services, including displaying content based on your previous transactions and preferences
  • Answer your inquiries and provide customer service
  • Send you marketing communications about our Services, including our newsletters (please see the Your Rights/Opt Out section below for how to opt out of marketing communications)
  • Communicate with users who registered their accounts on our site
  • Prevent, discover, and investigate fraud, criminal activity, or violations of our Terms and Conditions
  • Administer contests and events you entered

Information Obtained from Third-Party Sources

We collect and publish biographical and other information about users, which we use to promote the articles and our bloggers  who use our sites. If you provide personal information about others, or if others give us your information, we will only use that information for the specific reason for which it was provided.

Information We Collect by Automated Means

Log Files

The site uses your IP address to help diagnose server problems, and to administer our website. We use your IP addresses to analyze trends and gather broad demographic information for aggregate use.

Every time you access our Site, some data is temporarily stored and processed in a log file, such as your IP addresses, the browser types, the operating systems, the recalled page, or the date and time of the recall. This data is only evaluated for statistical purposes, such as to help us diagnose problems with our servers, to administer our sites, or to improve our Services.

Do Not Track

Your browser or device may include “Do Not Track” functionality. Our information collection and disclosure practices, and the choices that we provide to customers, will continue to operate as described in this Privacy Policy, whether or not a “Do Not Track” signal is received.

HOW WE SHARE YOUR INFORMATION

We may share your personal data with third parties only in the ways that are described in this Privacy Policy. We do not sell, rent, or lease your personal data to third parties, and We does not transfer your personal data to third parties for their direct marketing purposes.

We may share your personal data with third parties as follows:

  • With service providers under contract to help provide the Services and assist us with our business operations (such as our direct marketing, payment processing, fraud investigations, bill collection, affiliate and rewards programs)
  • As required by law, such as to comply with a subpoena, or similar legal process, including to meet national security or law enforcement requirements
  • When we believe in good faith that disclosure is necessary to protect rights or safety, investigate fraud, or respond to a government request
  • With other users of the Services that you interact with to help you complete a transaction

There may be other instances where we share your personal data with third parties based on your consent.

HOW WE STORE AND SECURE YOUR INFORMATION

We retain your information for as long as your account is active or as needed to provide you Services. If you wish to cancel your account or request that we no longer use your personal data, contact us. We will retain and use your personal data as necessary to comply with legal obligations, resolve disputes, and enforce our agreements.

All you and our data are stored in the server in the United States, we do not sales or transfer your personal data to the third party. All information you provide is stored on a secure server, and we generally accepted industry standards to protect the personal data we process both during transmission and once received.

YOUR RIGHTS/OPT OUT

You may correct, update, amend, delete/remove, or deactivate your account and personal data by making the change on your Blog on www.themiddleland.com or by emailing our customer service. We will respond to your request within a reasonable timeframe.

You may choose to stop receiving Join Talents newsletters or marketing emails at any time by following the unsubscribe instructions included in those communications, or you can contact us.

LINKS TO OTHER WEBSITES

The Middle Land include links to other websites whose privacy practices may differ from that of ours. If you submit personal data to any of those sites, your information is governed by their privacy statements. We encourage you to carefully read the Privacy Policy of any website you visit.

NOTE TO PARENTS OR GUARDIANS

Our Services are not intended for use by children, and we do not knowingly or intentionally solicit data from or market to children under the age of 18. We reserve the right to delete the child’s information and the child’s registration on the Sites.

PRIVACY POLICY CHANGES

We may update this Privacy Policy to reflect changes to our personal data processing practices. If any material changes are made, we will notify you on the Sites prior to the change becoming effective. You are encouraged to periodically review this Policy.

HOW TO CONTACT US

If you have any questions about our Privacy Policy, please contact customer service or send us mail at:

The Middle Land/New San Cai
100 Wilshire Blvd., 7th Floor
Santa Monica, CA 90401
USA

Article Submission


Logout

Are you sure? Do you want to logout of the account?

New Programs Added to Your Plan

March 2, 2023

The Michelin brothers created the guide, which included information like maps, car mechanics listings, hotels and petrol stations across France to spur demand.

The guide began to award stars to fine dining restaurants in 1926.

At first, they offered just one star, the concept was expanded in 1931 to include one, two and three stars. One star establishments represent a “very good restaurant in its category”. Two honour “excellent cooking, worth a detour” and three reward “exceptional cuisine, worth a

 

February 28, 2023        Hiring Journalists all hands apply

January 18, 2023          Hiring Journalists all hands apply

More

Leave a Reply

Forgot Password ?

Please enter your email id or user name to
recover your password

Roaster-JT
Thank you for your participation!
Back to Home
Roaster-JT
Thank you for your subscription!
Please check your email to activate your account.
Back to Home
Roaster-JT
Thank you for your participation!
Please check your email for the results.
Back to Home

Login to Vote!

Thank you for your participation,
please Log in or Sign up to Vote

Thank you for your Comment

Back to Home

Reply To:

New Programs Added to Your Plan


Login Now

123Sign in to your account