In the South, the reunion dinner usually has more than a dozen dishes, among which tofu and fish must be included, because this is the homophonic pronunciation of the Chinese character "rich". In the north, most reunion dinners are dumplings, which are made by the whole family. This is a kind of food in which delicious meat fillings are wrapped in a round thin dough. After wrapping, they are cooked in boiling water, add condiments, and the whole family sits down In front of the table, there is a lively dinner.

"Dumplings" symbolize reunion. Legend has it that the reason for having a reunion dinner is because of the Nian beast. In ancient times, there was a ferocious monster that lived scattered in the deep mountains and dense forests. People called them "Nian".

When ancient people had New Year's Eve dinner, they would put a very hot stove on the table, and the whole family would eat New Year's Eve dinner around the stove, so it was also called "surrounding the stove", which does not mean that they lived a prosperous life. New Year's Eve dinner is the most sumptuous dinner of the year. Because everyone is very busy during the year and can only get together during the New Year, so we pay special attention to the reunion on New Year's Eve.

Preparation for New Year’s Eve dinner

Eating New Year’s Eve dinner is the most lively and happy time for every family during the New Year. On New Year's Eve, a table is filled with sumptuous New Year's dishes. The whole family gathers around the table to have a reunion dinner. There are big dishes, cold pots, hot stir-fries, and snacks on the table. Generally, two things are indispensable, one is hot pot and the other is fish.

The hot pot is boiling, steaming, warm and sultry, indicating that it is prosperous; "fish" and "yu" are homophonic, which symbolizes "abundance in auspicious celebrations" and also means "abundance every year". There are also radish, commonly known as cabbage, which is used to wish good luck; lobster, fried fish and other fried foods are used to wish prosperity for the family, just like "fire cooking oil".