In China, on New Year's Day, people usually eat jiaozi and New Year's cakes, and jiaozi, which means "making friends at a younger age". Eating jiaozi means "making friends at a younger age", and "zi" is homophonic with "dumplings", which means "happy reunion" and "good luck and good luck" to bid farewell to the old and welcome the new. Rice cake: also known as sticky cake, which means high every year. Jiaozi and rice cakes are both traditional foods in China.

yuan, which means "head"; Dan means "day"; New Year's Day means "the first day". The word "New Year's Day" first appeared in the Book of Jin, but its meaning has been used for more than 4 years. In ancient times, the first day of the twelfth lunar month and October was regarded as New Year's Day, the first day of the lunar calendar was observed by Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, the first day of the Gregorian calendar was observed by the Republic of China, and the first day of the Gregorian calendar was also observed by the Chinese people in 1949. Therefore, New Year's Day is also called "Gregorian Year" in China.

What traditional things to eat on New Year's Day:

New Year's cake

Appearance time: Southern and Northern Dynasties

Comprehensive introduction: New Year's cake, also called sticky cake, has the meaning of getting taller every year. Rice cakes have a long history, but eating rice cakes on New Year's Day prevailed in the Ming and Qing Dynasties, especially in the south. Mainly in Suzhou, Jiading and other places in Jiangsu and Zhejiang.

Historical records: A Brief Introduction to the Scenery of the Imperial Capital in the late Ming Dynasty, on the New Year's Day of the first month, "Rejuvenate and wash, eat jujube cakes, and have New Year's cakes every day".

jiaozi

Time of appearance: Ming and Qing Dynasties

Comprehensive introduction: jiaozi was transformed from wonton. Every New Year's Day, northerners will eat jiaozi. But the custom of eating jiaozi on New Year's Day flourished in the north of Ming and Qing Dynasties.

Historical records: Miscellaneous Notes of Wan Department said that wanping county, a suburb of Beijing, paid New Year's greetings on New Year's Day "as a flat food, and served as a longevity".

Eggs

Emergence time: Wu Jin period

Comprehensive introduction: The custom of eating an egg on New Year's Day has existed since Wu Jin period. It is said that eggs were eaten for longevity at that time, but they disappeared when Liang Wudi was in office, mainly because Liang Wudi believed in Buddhism.

historical records: when a chicken is swallowed raw, it is called body-building.

Jiaobai Liquor

Emergence time: Eastern Han Dynasty

Comprehensive introduction: Jiaobai Liquor was made by soaking Zanthoxylum bungeanum and cypress leaf. According to ancient records, drinking pepper and cypress wine can get rid of illness and live longer. The traditional custom of drinking pepper and cypress wine on New Year's Day is mainly in Licheng, Shandong Province and Jiaxing, Zhejiang Province.

historical records: Zhengdan broke the evil wine, and the New Year's longevity cup. The cypress leaves come with the inscription, and the pepper flowers come with praise.

Soup cake

Emergence time: post-Wei period

Introduction: Soup cake in ancient times refers to the boiled food of wheat flour products, which is similar to the noodles we eat now.

historical records: on new year's day, people in the capital ate more cakes, so-called new year's eve, or something like that.