During the Chinese Lunar New Year, people consume foods symbolically linked to wealth and good fortune. Grace Young, a culinary historian, emphasizes that a positive mindset is essential for the new year. Various traditional foods like shrimp, sweet and sour pork, and whole fish are consumed for their auspicious meanings in Cantonese. For instance, shrimp signifies joy, while whole fish represents a united start and finish to the year. Similarly, tangerines symbolize luck and wholeness, while dumplings mimic coins. Certain foods, like tofu, are avoided as they symbolize bitterness.
The Chinese believe that you have to have a really positive attitude going into the new year, that's why you're eating these symbolic foods.
The Cantonese words for tangerine and luck sound similar, so oranges are popular on the holiday.
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