On the Winter Solstice, people eat dumplings to protect themselves from the cold and frost, such as lamb dumplings to keep warm. In the Spring Festival, dumplings symbolize a year of joyful reunion and good fortune.

The dumplings are wrapped in the shape of a Yuanbao, which means wrapping up good fortune, and eating dumplings symbolizes a rich life. From 23:00 on the 30th night of the Lunar New Year to 1:00 on the first day of the first month of the new year, it is the time to take the meaning of the new year to hand over the dumplings, and the dumplings harmonize with the dumplings, which means a joyful reunion and good luck.

Eating dumplings also means praying for an early birth in the coming year, a prosperous family, and a successful child. In addition, dumplings have become a Chinese New Year mascot because they are shaped like a silver dollar, and eating dumplings at Chinese New Year symbolizes a new year of great wealth, the Yuanbao rolled in the meaning of the people's good wishes to attract wealth and treasure.

In order to be lucky and festive, people will put some things into the dumplings when they are wrapped, such as red dates, which symbolize an early birth or early wealth; some put chestnuts, which symbolize great luck; and some put coins into the dumplings, and whoever eats them, it is a sign that he or she will be rich. Even if the same kind of dumplings, there are different ways to eat: Inner Mongolia and Heilongjiang Daur people to put the dumplings in the vermicelli broth to cook.

Expanded Information

There are three main legends about eating dumplings on New Year's Day, the first of which commemorates Pangu's opening of the heavens and the earth, which brought an end to chaos. The second is to take its harmony with the Hun hoard, meaning a hoard full of grain. There are also rumors that the folklore of eating dumplings is related to the creation of man by Nuwa. When Nüwa created man, the ears of the yellow earth people could easily freeze off due to the cold weather.

In order to keep the ears in place, Nüwa tied a small eye in the ear, tied it with a thin thread, and put the other end in the mouth of the yellow man and bit it, so that the ear could be considered ready. In order to commemorate Nuwa's achievement, the common people made dumplings, kneaded the shape of human ears with noodles, filled with stuffing (thread), and ate them by biting them with their mouths.

Baidu Encyclopedia - Dumplings

People's Daily Online - New Year's Taste in Dumplings (New Year's Taste Around Us)