Today marks the beginning of the Chinese New Year. Often referred to as the Lunar New Year, this traditional Chinese holiday is celebrated from the last day of the Chinese calendar (yesterday) to the 15th day of the new year. Aside from China, Chinese New Year is celebrated in cities with significant Chinese populations such as San Francisco.
Every year of the Chinese calendar is represented with an animal – 2014 being the horse. The New Year is typically celebrated with family reunions, house-cleansing (to encourage good fortune,) red decorations (for good luck,) parades and firecrackers, and of course, delicious foods! Symbolism in food is an major theme in Chinese culture – especially during holidays. For instance, long noodles symbolize longevity. If you would like to cook up a traditional Chinese dish of your own this weekend, try this Sichuan Dan-Dan Noodles recipe from Food52.
Sichuan Dan-Dan Noodles recipe :: Lantern Festival :: festive macarons :: New Year gift :: gold mums fine paper :: Year of the Horse illustration :: incense burning on the first night of the new year :: traditional feast
– Happy Chinese New Year from Elements –
Have a fantastic weekend!
