Nian in the Village
Hongjun Laozu and the Nian - The village had a problem. The hungry and monstrous
Nian had returned to select another tasty villager for its yearly meal, but this time he was met by an ancient travelling Taoist monk who was overnighting in the village, Hongjun Laozu (鴻鈞老祖), who admonished the
Nian to eat elsewhere.
Hongjun Laozu
"Old man, now it’s time for me to eat you!" spat the defiant
Nian. Hongjun Laozu said, "Wait while I take my clothes off, as I will surely taste much better then", and the monk did so, revealing blood-red undergarments underneath. The startled
Nian exclaimed "Ah! I dearly hate red, get out of my sight quickly." "Ha! I knew you were afraid of red!" exclaimed the monk.
Nian
The old man mounted
Nian and went to the town, saying "Dear villagers, do not be afraid,
Nian is most terrified of red. From now on, each house must paste red on each of their doors to prevent
Nian from creating havoc." Hongjun Laozu also came to report that loud noises also scare the
Nian.
After this, the people started to paste red paper on their front doors before New Year's Day and throw firecrackers in the streets.
Nian Ye Fan (Reunion Day (年夜饭)) - The day before the official celebration is a major communal family feast day. Wax-cured meats (like duck and Chinese sausage) and seafood (e.g. lobster and abalone, and most especially a whole fish (yú: 魚) which is included in the dinner, but not eaten completely (the remainder is preserved overnight) – a tribute to the Chinese traditional axiom "may there be surpluses every year".
Tray of Togetherness
“Tray of Togetherness” candy boxes are given as gifts with the idea in mind to "bribe" the Kitchen God into reporting good things about the family.
Niángāo is featured, which literally means "new year cake" with a homophonous meaning of "increasingly prosperous year in and year out". Pork and cabbage dumplings (jiǎozi: 餃子), which have a shape reminiscent of ancient money, are consumed around midnight.
Niángāo
Eight individual dishes are served to reflect the belief in the good fortune associated with this luckiest of numbers. If in the previous year a death was experienced in the family, seven dishes are instead served.
Day 1 – Commemorating the banishment of the Nian, revelers wear red, municipal fireworks are featured at night, elders are honored, personal firecrackers are common, a bamboo-and-paper figurine of the Nian is paraded through the streets, and a cacophonous din is created by banging old pots together which have often been passed down through the family from generation to generation for just this purpose.
"Lion" Dance in Old Taiwan
For Buddhists, the first day is also the birthday of Maitreya Bodhisattva (better known as the more familiar
Budai Luohan), the Buddha-to-be. People also abstain from killing animals on this day, and the use of knives and lighting fires are also considered bad luck on Day 1, thus the leftover fish that was killed and prepared on Reunion Day is more than welcome.
Budis-jin will often consume vegetarian dishes on this day to insure longevity.
Whole Steamed Fish (yú: 魚)
Day 2 – A good day for a whole boiled or steamed chicken. Boiled chicken is served because it is considered that any family, no matter how humble their circumstances, can afford a chicken during Chinese New Year. The chicken is left whole to signify the unifying nature of the universe.
The second day is also the birthday of all dogs, and treats for the family pet are common.
Day 3 – Called “Red Mouth” (赤口), rural villagers burn paper offerings over trash fires to the “God of Blazing Wrath” (熛怒之神). This is also considered a propitious day to visit the temple of the God of Wealth and have one's future told.
Day 4 – Most Asian countries celebrate Nián Jié officially only for the first three days, thus corporate-provided “Spring Dinners” signify the return back to business as usual for most people on the fourth day. At the latest, the annual Nián Jié festival is in late February, but it’s still considered the traditional transition into Spring.
Day 5 – Jiǎozi dumplings are also eaten on this morning (called pòwǔ (破五)). While making them, families sometimes tuck added good-luck foods like peanuts (to bring long life) into some of them.
Jiǎozi (餃子)
Chive Garlic Ginger Pork Jiǎozi
Minced pork, 1 pound
Chinese celery, washed and coarsely chopped, 1/2 bunch
Garlic chives, florets removed and chopped, 1/2 bunch
Minced ginger, 1 tsp
Soy sauce, 1.5 tbsp
Sugar, 1/2 tsp
Sesame oil, 1 tbsp
Corn starch, 1 tbsp
Dash of sea salt
Pepper
Round wonton wrappers, 1 package
Beaten Egg to serve as the “glue” to seal the dumpling
Mix all the filling ingredients. To assemble a dumpling, place a wonton wrapper in your left palm. Spoon about 1/2 a spoonful of filling into the center. Using a pastry brush, wipe egg all around the filling, to the edges of the dumpling. Fold dumpling into a half moon, pressing with your fingers to seal the top, and then tuck the left and right edges in. Press to seal.
If steaming, dumplings are finished when slightly wrinkled and the filling feels tender, but solid (about 15 minutes). If boiling, drop dumplings into a rolling boil, lower heat to medium. Dumplings are cooked when floating in about 4 minutes. Serve hot with a simple citrus dipping sauce, or (especially in Northern China) 2 parts vinegar to 1 part shoyu (soy sauce).
Day 7 – Renri (Human Day (人日)) – humans were created on the seventh day of the calendar year by Nüwa (女媧), the Goddess who Created the World. Humans were preceded only by chickens, dogs, boars, sheep, cows, and horses, in that order, which were created on days 1-6 respectively. For Buddhists, Day 7 is also the birth of Sakra, Lord of the Devas in the Buddhist cosmology, who is analogous to the Jade Emperor. Yúshēng (鱼生) tossed raw fish salad – made with seven fishes – is consumed.
Yúshēng (鱼生)
Day 8 – People who are returning to work on this day will be treated by business owners who will host a lunch/dinner with their employees, thanking their employees for the work they have done throughout the year.
Hokkien people, especially, offer food to the Jade Emperor and also to Zao Jun, the Kitchen God, who reports on each family’s good and bad deeds over the past year to the Jade Emperor.
Day 9 – From midnight to 7am of the ninth day of the new year, Hokkiens (especially) will offer thanks to the Jade Emperor of Heaven in the Taoist Pantheon. The six vegetables will be offered, as well as noodles, fruits, cakes, tāngyuán, vegetable bowls, and unripe betel, all decorated with paper lanterns.
The Jade Emperor
A second communal feast day in honor of the Jade Emperor is hosted, often featuring a roast pig along with incense, tea and fruit.
Day 10 – The Jade Emperor’s Party celebration is officially enjoyed on this day. After yesterday’s feast, lighter fare is desirable, like turnip cakes and simple noodle dishes. Families may serve uncut noodle creations, making the noodles as long as they can, which represents long life.
Day 13 – An overabundance of hearty eating over the past few weeks makes this a good day for purely vegetarian fare to cleanse the system – quite possibly Buddhist jai.
Jai
Businesses, especially, will commemorate China’s greatest General,
Guan Yu, who won 100 battles. Business leaders will remind all that winning so many battles is a goal to strive for over the coming year. In the end,
Guan Yu was deceived by the enemy and beheaded.
Lantern Festival (十五暝)
Day 15 –
Chap Goh Me (Lantern Festival (十五暝)) is celebrated by individuals seeking a romantic partner, akin to Western Valentine's Day. Traditionally, single women would write their contact numbers on mandarin oranges and throw them in a river or lake while single men would fish them out and eat the oranges. The taste of the orange is an indication of the possibility of love: sweet represents a good fate while sour represents a bad omen.
Traditional dinner on Lantern Festival often includes tāngyuán (汤圆) sweet rice ball soup. The roundness of the rice balls and the bowl signifies family togetherness.
Tāngyuán
1/3 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups water
2-3 pandan leaves or screwpine leaves, tie into a knot
2-inch piece ginger, peeled and slightly pounded with a cleaver
Sticky Rice Balls -
2 cups glutinous rice (sticky rice) flour
7 oz water
Red and Yellow food coloring
Tāngyuán
To prepare syrup, boil the water in a pot. Add the screwpine leaves and ginger and bring it to boil on medium heat until you smell the aroma of ginger and pandan leaves. Add sugar and let it simmer for another 15 minutes. Add more or reduce the sugar to taste, then set aside.
In a big bowl, mix glutinous flour with water and knead with hands to form a dough ball. The dough is ready when it doesn't stick to your hands anymore. Divide the dough into 3 portions, with the plain dough the biggest portion. Add 2-3 drops of each food coloring to make the smaller dough balls pink and yellow.
Pinch the dough into small balls and roll them in between your palms into round balls. Traditional rice balls are sometimes filled with sweet red bean paste, sesame paste, or peanut butter. Set aside on a flat surface lined with paper or a slightly damp cloth. Boil another pot of water and drop the dumplings into the pot. As soon as they float, transfer them into the syrup water. Serve immediately.
Gōngxǐ Fācái!
The first day of
Nián Jié Year of the Goat (or Sheep) is on 19 February 2015.