【Culture Note】春節(jié)文化
In the old days, New Year's money was given in the form of one hundred copper coins strung together on a red string and symbolized the hope that one would live to be a hundred years old. Today, money is placed inside red envelopes in denominations considered auspicious and given to represent luck and wealth
辭舊歲 bid farewell to the old year
掃房 spring cleaning; general house-cleaning
【Food names】春節(jié)食品名稱(chēng)：
年糕 Nian-gao; rise cake; New Year cake
團(tuán)圓飯 family reunion dinner
年夜飯 the dinner on New Year's Eve
八寶飯 eight treasures rice pudding
湯圓 sweet dumplings; dumplings made of sweet rice, rolled into balls and stuffed with either sweet or spicy fillings
糖果盤(pán) candy tray:
什錦糖 assorted candies - sweet and fortune
蜜冬瓜 candied winter melon - growth and good health
金桔 cumquat - prosperity
紅棗 red dates - prosperity
糖蓮子 candied lotus seed - many descendents to come
糖藕 candied lotus root - fulfilling love relationship
花生糖 peanut candy - sweet